


That Smile of Yours

by pretzelduck



Category: All Elite Wrestling, Professional Wrestling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And it was inspiring, Cody handing Darby the title on one knee looked like a marriage proposal, Getting Together, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27719777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretzelduck/pseuds/pretzelduck
Summary: In the aftermath of their title match, Cody finds himself increasingly fascinated by Darby Allin.  He hadn't known the kind of almost softness Darby had shown after his victory had been lurking underneath Darby's usual aloof exterior.  And now Cody can't unsee it.  He doesn't want to.  He just wants to see it again.
Relationships: Darby Allin/Cody Rhodes
Comments: 113
Kudos: 89





	1. Full Gear (November 7th, 2020)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic begins at Full Gear (November 7th, 2020) and weaves its way through later episodes of both Dark and Dynamite. The chapter titles will contain the timestamps so you know where (and when) we are at. :)

It shouldn't be bothering him.

There were bigger problems to be worried about. After all, he had lost the match - lost _his_ title - and that was what should be at the forefront of his mind. And it was. The issue was that it wasn't alone. Cody couldn't get Darby Allin out of his head. That would be fine if his focus was how Allin had beaten him or how underestimating him had been what led to his defeat. Or on the fact that even though he had gained muscle since their last match, Allin had gotten better - and that while he'd known that, he hadn't respected it.

But it wasn't.

Cody kept seeing the look on Allin's face after he realized that he had won. When he had gotten down on one knee and presented Allin with the title belt. The emotions on that half-painted face. How overwhelmed he had been. Tears and shock and joy. Cody hadn't known what to do with it in the moment and now he couldn't stop seeing it. 

If anyone had ever asked him to describe Darby Allin and his emotions (even though no one would ever ask him a question like that), Cody would have brought up his intensity. Everything about their resident daredevil was intense. Anyone who had ever watched any of their programming had probably seen Darby Allin angry or frustrated or heard him described as some sort of barely-controlled intensity. And it was idiotic that even in his own head, Cody couldn't come up for a better or different word for him.

Until that moment after their match.

There hadn't been an ounce of frustration or anger on Darby Allin's face. Not a drop of intensity in the way he was so overcome that he could barely stand up. There had been something almost soft about Allin in that moment and it had haunted Cody in all the minutes afterward. When Taz had come out and mocked them, he had been angry at the interruption and the presumption but mainly because he had stolen that almost softness away. Then, Cage and Starks had ambushed them from behind and everything had gone downhill from there. Cody had tried to help but they had been focused on destroying Allin. And his night of triumph - and his own night of defeat - had ended with neither of them standing tall.

Which was frankly offensive.

There were other things that he should be worried about. His defeat, the rest of Full Gear - the 'I Quit' match alone made him nervous from an executive's position. But instead, he was wandering around backstage and trying to see if anyone had seen Darby Allin. He'd darted away from the medical staff (which was normal) but he was supposedly still in the building (which was less so). Cody was banged up and he had a hundred other things that he should be doing, as Arn angrily reminded him as he walked away. But he knew that if he didn't catch Allin now, then he wouldn't see him until next week's tapings when he showed up with probably another strange video and went back to lurking in the nosebleeds - this time with the title in hand. Cody didn't ever wonder if Darby would fail to show when he was scheduled to. No matter how often he went radio silent, he always did everything that was asked of him. Cody liked his reliability - it was probably a lame thing to like about someone but such things mattered to him.

Security had been told to contact him if they saw Allin but he hadn't gotten a call yet. There were a few more corners and nooks to check and Cody was determined to do it, even if it meant ignoring the neverending text notifications on his phone. There were things he should be doing but Cody _had_ to find Allin. He had to be tucked away somewhere. Daily's Place wasn't _that_ big. 

And there he was.

Or at least Cody knew that he was looking at Darby Allin but he didn't recognize him. Not really.

Allin was sitting up against a wall with his legs stretched out in front of him and an ice pack wrapped around the elbow that Cody had targeted. The TNT title was almost awkwardly cradled in his arms and he was staring at it with a smile on his face. It was that smile that Cody didn't recognize. There was something delicate about it - like all of that almost softness that Cody had seen in the ring earlier had transferred to the small upward curve of his lips. That smile hadn't even appeared when Cody watched Allin sign his contract. His expression there had been more stubborn than anything else. The chip on his shoulder made manifest. But this was definitely not that.

Darby Allin was happy.

And Cody was staring. He knew he was. He had no idea if he was even blinking. There was an odd and inexplicable knot in his stomach. Allin looked _good_ like that, in a way that Cody couldn't explain - even to himself. His phone was mercifully silent - the last thing he wanted right now was to give away the fact that he was standing here. Somehow, he _knew_ that that smile would disappear the instant Allin realized he was being watched. Being seen. And Cody didn't want that to happen just yet. It was inevitable but he had never seen anything quite like that smile. It drew him in. He wanted to be a part of it. Cody felt a matching smile form on his own face. Maybe Allin would make a little room for the man that he had defeated. Maybe.

"Hey, Allin."

Blue eyes darted up to meet his and for a single heartbeat, that smile stayed right where it was as those eyes widened slightly. Cody's feet propelled him forward of their own accord but it was gone in an instant, replaced by that blank aloofness that Allin had seemingly perfected when he wasn't in a ring. And now Cody had pulled a Taz and stolen that happiness from him. He shifted to the forced executive's smile as Allin stayed right where he was and watched his approach with a single raised eyebrow.

"Rhodes."

The sound of his own name surprised him. He'd fought damn hard for the right to hear that name and having Justin Roberts announce him as Cody Rhodes had sent a burst of adrenaline through him that was quite unlike any other he had ever felt. But the stiffness of last names wasn't the sort of mood Cody wanted right now. He wanted that smile back - it had to still be in there somewhere.

"Cody is fine. Since you beat me and all."

He tried for a bit of humor, even though he wondered if Allin would appreciate how difficult it was to make a joke about losing so shortly after doing it. Doubtful, especially since that blank expression didn't change at all. Not even a hint of chuckle or smirk.

"Okay."

Cody was standing beside him at this point and looking down at that so often half-painted face. It was a distinctive look that the executive vice president part of him appreciated. Allin didn't look like anyone on their roster; hell, he didn't look like anyone on any company's roster. And that was part of the whole point. To be different. Allin certainly fit that description. But this close - this far from the ring and business - Cody realized just how blue Allin's eyes were and it was one of those realizations that made the ground underneath his feet tilt a little. 

And Cody didn't like it.

He preferred being in control at all times. Everything about this impulse vibrating under his skin - this _need_ to recapture a fleeting moment - was almost out of his control. It was uncomfortable in a way that grated. But it was that _almost_ that gave him pause. He didn't need to be here - in all actuality he needed to be about four other places right now - but he wanted to be here. Wanted to see that smile again. Perhaps even be the cause of it. The image in his mind's eye kept him steady as the earth shifted beneath him.

"How's your elbow?"

That was a neutral enough question but the expression on Allin's face became decidedly irritated. The phone still clutched in his hand received three text messages in a row and Cody knew that his stolen time was running short.

"Fine."

"I'm serious." The irritation on Allin's face made way for a bit of incredulity at that sentence and Cody couldn't help but smirk in response. He was well-aware of not just his own temperament but his own reputation. He was always serious. "I'm bigger and stronger than you. Did you let someone from medical take a look at it?"

He tried to keep his tone concerned and not let it shade over to condescending but he doubted it mattered to Allin either way with the way he was struggling to get to his feet without dropping the title or leaning on his injured arm. The lack of fluidity in the motion was a stark contrast to how he usually moved. Cody's hand hovered over Allin's bare shoulder without touching - wanting to help but knowing it was a terrible idea.

"I'm good." 

He'd been knocked out and sprawled across the hood of a car not even an hour ago.

At least Allin didn't lie to him about seeing medical. Cody could appreciate that even if the non-answer was aggravating. Was there really something wrong with wanting to know if he was okay? It was damn tempting to slip into the role of the executive and demand an answer but that was even further from the sort of mood and moment he had come in search of. It was seemingly lost but there _had_ to be a way to get it back.

"Darby…"

Cody had no idea what he was going to say and that wasn't how he liked to conduct his business - professional or personal. But the blank aloofness was firmly back in place and he hesitated at the sight of it.

"Let me know when you want a rematch. It's yours whenever."

That wasn't how it worked in AEW - they usually tried to avoid things like that - but Cody thought the offer was… sweet, in its own way. If nothing else, it was a possible sign of respect.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Of course, his phone chose that moment to start ringing. He didn't move to answer it and for some reason, that made Allin smirk a little. A smirk wasn't that smile but it was better than nothing. Definitely better than blankness. Cody really didn't want to get back to work right this second but as soon as the phone stopped, it started ringing again - this time it was TK's ringtone. 

Damn.

The sound was echoing off the walls but somehow, Allin's soft chuckle was even louder. That was different and new and almost as intriguing as seeing that almost softness in the ring and that smile a moment ago. Allin started walking away and Cody knew he had to let him - there was work to be done. His phone was halfway to his ear when he heard Allin's voice.

"I'll see you in a few days, Ace."

Ace?

He had that coming, didn't he? The fact that it didn't sound half-bad coming from Darby Allin floated around in the back of Cody's mind as he finally got back to work.


	2. The Monday After Full Gear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cody realizes something.

Shortly after noon on Sunday, Cody Rhodes sent Darby Allin a benign and basic text message inquiring about his health. 

There was no response.

Shortly before eleven on Monday morning, Cody had read through the same two paragraphs of yet another legal agreement at least ten times before he decided to take a break. His mind wouldn't focus and it was getting annoying. Strike that, it was annoying. He had too much work to do to keep getting interrupted by his brain's stupidity. 

Allin's radio silence wasn't unusual. He wasn't really surprised that his text hadn't been answered. Irritated and frustrated, definitely. There was absolutely no reason to be worried. Darby Allin jumped off bridges and had a fondness for thumbtacks. His elbow was fine. Cody would have gotten an email about him not being medically cleared to compete by now. And he had already checked his inbox twenty times this morning.

Twenty-one couldn't hurt.

Nothing.

So Allin was fine and Cody was worried for no reason. This wasn't the first time that he'd had an opponent finish a match with an apparent injury. It happened. A lot. Injuries were never the goal but he would never apologize for taking advantage of one. Neither was it the first time that he'd seen an injured opponent attacked and beaten down after a match. But it really bothered him this time.

The TNT championship meant everything to him. Creating a title from scratch and being the first to hold it - it mattered to him. He had defined that title. Match by match, defense after defense. Losing it to Brodie Lee in such quick fashion had been devastating. Cody knew he hadn't handled it well. He'd disappeared - maybe Allin of all people would actually understand that reaction. Losing it the second time was different. Darby Allin had made it different. The title had mattered to him. Not the power or the prestige that came from such a thing but the title and the words ' TNT Champion.' Even now - a few days later - it was easier for Cody to stomach a loss to someone that cared as much about his creation as he did.

So he wanted to know if Allin was okay. That was understandable. But the need to know wasn't something Cody could quite comprehend. He almost had to speak to Allin again for the sake of his own sanity. It was entirely possible that it wasn't just that he wanted to know about Allin's health but Cody refused to think about that right now. One issue at a time.

For example, wondering if Darby would call him 'Ace' again the next time they spoke or if that was a one-time thing was an issue that he was dealing with later. Along with whether or not he would be able to hear that smile in Darby's voice or would all that almost softness be completely gone? 

These were also things to worry about later.

Maybe he could try calling Allin. Like an actual phone call instead of a text message. Both were completely ignorable but maybe he would answer the phone if an EVP was calling him. That definitely wasn't how Cody wanted to go about things - he wanted Darby to _want_ to talk to him - but he wasn't going to turn down a way to get his foot in the proverbial door. 

That single moment of Darby smiling - and how he was still smiling when their eyes met - had continued to stay with him even after he left Daily's Place on Saturday. It was there when he opened his eyes Sunday morning and may or may not have been the underlying reason he'd sent that text message yesterday. Cody knew that things could stick with him like that. A need to see something through. A compulsion almost beyond his control. 

But this was different. 

They had actually known each other in passing from a while back when Allin was more crash test dummy than wrestler. Later on, Cody had been the one to scout him for AEW in the first place. Then, Full Gear had been the fourth time that they had faced each other in the ring. He had been confident that he could beat Allin but at the same time, Arn had continually reminded him that he had gotten better since the last time they had wrestled. Cody had known he had - seen it with his own eyes - but that hadn't been enough. 

And now their loner daredevil was TNT Champion. Infinitely better than Brodie Lee holding the belt and something that Cody had an indirect sort of pride about. Darby had come up short repeatedly over his career - long before he stepped foot in an AEW ring - but not this time. He was heartbroken for himself and his own loss but happy for Darby at the same time.

It was confusing and frustrating and if he wasn't being completely honest with himself, Cody would attribute this weird _feeling_ he had about Darby to that mix of emotions. But that wouldn't explain the warmth he felt right now whenever he thought about Darby. The way the memory of that smile kept bringing a smile to his own face. Or how he almost _needed_ to talk to Darby sooner rather than later. Or how he couldn't focus on his work. The level of distraction was ridiculous and completely inexplicable.

He was staring at his own phone now. His fingers hovering over Darby's contact information. It would be simple enough to just call him. A simple motion. A simple action. There were so many times when Cody made dozens of phone calls in a single day. But that was business and this just _wasn't_. It should be. That should be the sort of relationship he was aiming for with Allin. Professional yet friendly. And that had been exactly what he assumed they had and what had been entirely acceptable until two nights ago at Full Gear. But now? 

The phone rang four times before Cody heard someone pick up.

_"Hello?"_

The way his gut slightly clenched at the sound of Allin's voice was probably not healthy. It was just relief, though. He'd actually answered the phone.

_"Hey, Darby."_

His voice was overly casual even to his own ears. And for some reason, Cody felt himself involuntarily hold his breath as he waited to hear how Darby addressed him. Which was more than a little ridiculous. It was mere curiosity, that's all. There were worse nicknames than 'Ace.' The Human Suplex Machine had always and still sounded stupid.

_"Rhodes."_

That wasn't exactly promising. Allin didn't sound irritated but just blank. Rhodes was better than Mr. Rhodes, he supposed. Marginally.

_"It's Cody, remember?"_

And that was probably a bit too eager.

_"Okay."_

_"Is this a bad time?"_

Maybe that was the problem. Maybe Darby was having a multi-day victory party. An invite would have been nice.

_"It's fine. What is it?"_

That was definitely answering a question with another question. It was entirely possible that this had been a terrible and impulsive idea.

_"You didn't answer my text message. I was…"_

_"Sorry."_

Cody wasn't sure if Darby had interrupted him because he was impatient or because he hadn't wanted to hear what he was going to say. Or if he just wanted this phone call over with. 

_"Don't worry about it."_ He really wanted to know why Darby hadn't answered but first things first. _"How is the elbow and the rest of you?"_

There was what seemed like a too-long pause and Cody heard what sounded like air rushing by. Was Darby skateboarding while they talked? That was… different. 

_"I'm not dead."_ Something that seemed like a chuckle echoed in Cody's ear. It wasn't that almost softness or a smile but it was lighter. That was different too. _"How about you, Ace?"_

Ace.

He was 'Ace' again. All of a sudden, Cody was glad that Pharaoh was the only being that could see him grinning at his phone and even then, his dog was enjoying mid-day nap time so there really was no one to mock him. 

_"Still alive."_ Another chuckle had Cody feeling like he was managing to gain the trust of a stray cat. _"You could have just texted, Darby."_

_"What are you…"_ Cody didn't get a chance to try and respond before Darby continued. _"I mean… I'm not really good with texts… and phone calls… and you know..."_

The hesitation and the doubt were something else he didn't exactly associate with Darby Allin and Cody knew that he'd made a misstep somewhere. But he could work with this.

_"No problem. We could meet up. Hang out. Get coffee together or something. I know a place or two that are pretty decent."_ An excuse. He needed a reason to see Darby before Dynamite on Wednesday. There had to be something. _"We could talk about that rematch."_

Completely work-related. That was perfectly acceptable.

_"No thanks."_ Cody's brain was slowly comprehending the abrupt and devoid-of-lightness answer as Allin continued. _"I'll see you on Wednesday."_

And now he hung up.

Just like that.

Cody was incredibly tempted to call Allin back and demand answers. Ask why he had done that. How dare he? It hurt and it stung. He just wanted to spend time with Darby. Was that _that_ out of line? That bizarre to Darby that he outright refused? They could have just continued to talk on the phone. Or Darby could have suggested another idea rather than going for coffee if that was _that_ abhorrent. Communication was an important aspect to a professional yet friendly relationship. Which was a perfectly fine sort of relationship. It wasn't like Darby turned him down for a date or anything like that.

Oh.

That was...

That was exactly what had happened.

Cody had asked Darby out and he had said no. Or at least, that's what this was, wasn't it? That smile stayed with him not just because it was a novelty. It wasn't only that Cody wanted to see it again but that he wanted Darby to smile with him. For him. Because of him. That almost softness haunted him not only because Cody hadn't known it existed but because he wanted to be a part of it. 

He was both intrigued by and attracted to Darby. 

That single thought - that single realization - made him sit down in the armchair that he kept pacing in front of. Of course, Pharaoh took the opportunity to lie down on his feet and demand affection. Cody absent-mindedly scratched behind his dog's ears as his mind tried to process what he was feeling. His need to track down Darby after their match. His concern over Darby's injured elbow. His own anguish over losing that didn't erase the odd sort of happiness he felt for Darby's victory. 

And now that he had thought about it, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Darby was relentless - to quote his own tattoo - and that had an appeal all its own. His lithe quickness had drawn his eye from the very first time Cody had seen him and now he couldn't help but wonder how long this attraction had been lurking at the edges of his heart. It was worth pursuing, he had little doubt of that. Darby had shut him down - shut him out - but maybe he needed to be slower. Cody was well-aware of how much distance Darby kept between himself and the rest of the roster. Maybe if he did things just right Darby would look at him and see someone worth pursuing too. 

Shortly after noon on Monday, Cody Rhodes began formulating a plan to charm Darby Allin.


	3. Dynamite (November 11th, 2020)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darby saves Cody - twice.

Wednesdays were always busy.

It always seemed like he started the day running behind and ended every Wednesday the exact same way. Another meeting to attend, another phone call to take, another problem to fix. But for Cody, the stress of being a part of putting wrestling on national television was completely worth it. There were the rare days where everything seemed fated and preordained - destined to happen - but then there were the days like this one where he woke up and would lie there for a minute looking at the ceiling in astonishment over what they had managed to do. Managed to create. It was a sort of personalized joy and he wanted to share it with someone. There were his friends and his brother but Cody wanted - as corny as it sounded - someone to hold his hand. To wake up on one of those astonished mornings and have someone there with him.

And that thought - like so many random thoughts these past few days - reminded him of Darby Allin.

It was an odd thing. Once Cody had realized that his interest in Darby was decidedly romantic, his heart had refused to be denied. Getting work done had been a little more difficult than he'd liked as his focus kept wandering. Maybe if it had just been fantasizing about being allowed to kiss Darby - or being kissed by Darby - he might have had better luck keeping his thoughts in order. But Cody wanted to know how Darby took his coffee and what he looked like fast asleep. He wanted to know how to make him laugh and wanted to be allowed to hold him when he was upset. And the most distracting and insidious part? He wanted Darby to be thinking all those same things about _him_. 

Hence, the plan.

After Darby had hung up on him on Monday, Cody had started to put together a loose idea about ways to charm him. To subtly and slowly reveal his romantic intentions and see if maybe they might be returned. Did skateboarding wrestlers date wrestlers who were also executive vice presidents? It sounded ridiculous in his own head but he had no idea if Darby could possibly be interested in him like _that_. Not that he was going to change who he was fundamentally but he had no idea how to make himself seem approachable to Darby in _that_ way. So it came down to how to go from professionals and recent rivals to a possible something else.

A loosely developed plan was fine for that.

After Cody had gotten almost completely lost on his Tuesday morning run because he had been distracted by the idea of Darby skateboarding alongside him, a more concrete plan had been necessary.

There may or may not be a written outline.

Part one of his new and improved plan was actually pretty simple and something that he could easily put into effect tonight. He wasn't going to seek a rematch for the TNT championship right now. They didn't typically do rematches right away anyway but Cody was going to make a point of it on national television in front of Darby - who was likely to be back up in the nosebleeds - and be completely transparent about it. He wanted that title back but not right now - not at Darby's expense. Not that he knew he would beat Darby if they faced each other again - Cody had _known_ he would best Darby at Full Gear and look how that had turned out. But for the sake of his own possible personal life, Cody was going to make a professional semi-sacrifice. 

He didn't want to be Darby's rival. He didn't want them to feud or fight. If there was any wrestling involved, Cody wanted to be at Darby's side - not across from him. They had tagged together before and it had gone both good and bad. But it would be better this go-round - if he could get Darby to trust him. Or at least believe that they were on the same side. Taz's idiots had attacked them both - upgrading Taz from annoying mosquito to genuine pain in the ass. They had been after Darby for months and while it had been a reliable bit of their programming, it was personal now. For more than one reason.

But publicly declaring that he wasn't seeking a rematch was a few hours from now. At the moment, Cody was pretty sure that he was supposed to be in about four places at once. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd had a chance to grab a bite to eat. Something somewhere smelled good but he didn't have the time to track it or catering down. Good thing he wasn't scheduled to wrestle tonight, he figured. It was Wednesday and there was too much to do. Daily's Place was mostly organized chaos. Everything worked well, even if it felt just a touch too much out-of-control for his own liking. But there was a looseness to it. Everybody was busy but comfortable and happy. That mattered more than his own preferences or at least it did to him.

Something really did smell good, though. 

There was a cup of coffee and a basic brown paper lunch bag right next to him at his desk.

When did that get there?

Cody took a quick look around but nobody was there. The cup and bag didn't look like something from catering, though. The coffee smelled like a decent dark black coffee - but why would someone bring him coffee. It was his office and his desk but the name scrawled on the cup wasn't his.

It said 'Ace.'

Darby.

Darby had brought him coffee. A quick sip confirmed that it was straight black coffee - just how he liked it. It was the default so it probably shouldn't be _that_ big of a deal but the idea that Darby might know he didn't add anything to his coffee was quickly going to his head. Darby had given him coffee and - after opening the bag - an apple cinnamon muffin. It was exactly the sort of thing he needed right now.

How in the hell had he been so busy and so absorbed in his work that he hadn't noticed that Darby of all people was standing next to him?

Cody wasn't sure which was harder to believe: him not realizing Darby had - at some point - been right there or Darby stopping at some coffee shop and ordering coffee for 'Ace.'

Both seemed half-way impossible.

But there was coffee and a muffin sitting on his desk. Darby - who had hung up on him after Cody suggested meeting for coffee - had actually brought him exactly that. Cody had no idea if the gesture was meant to be an apology or a peace offering or something else but there was a smile on his face he had no hopes of hiding. He really was hungry and it was a damn good muffin. Darby had thought of him. For all of his own distracted mental wanderings over the past several days, the one thing he hadn't quite been able to imagine was Darby thinking about him too. Cody wanted him to but hadn't believed he would be. But in his hand was proof that - even if it was just for a moment - Darby had thought about him. Not the executive or the rival but _him_.

The soft smile stayed on his face as he continued to work - and eat his muffin.

***

Cody had known that Taz was going to speak before Cage's match with Sydal but he hadn't realized just how much the words were going to bother him. Taz was an obnoxious blowhard and almost all of his pointed, mocking words were aimed solely at Darby. He had saved a few for Cody himself but that wasn't what bothered him. He was annoyed at Taz's words but Darby had been listening to this for months. How many times had he heard Taz or Starks make fun of him? No wonder Darby kept flinging himself at Team Taz with all the violence he could muster and at any opportunity he could find. Cody had known about the ongoing feud as a thing in his general awareness but now it _mattered_ to him. 

Part Two of the Plan: Have Darby's back.

It seemed simple. Cody wanted to fight at Darby's side. He had no idea if Darby would welcome his help or not but he was going to try. The attacks - both physical and verbal - on them both had given him an opening and he was going to take it. So the next time Starks jumped him, Cody was going to intervene. No more listening to Taz berate and belittle Darby. Cody knew that the path from rivals to allies wasn't necessarily an easy one and 'ally' was the bare minimum of the sort of relationship he wanted with Darby. But it was a beginning.

As Cody waited for his music to begin, he realized that there was one single benefit to Taz's diatribe. Their cameras and lights had found Darby up in the nosebleeds while Taz spoke. So now Cody knew he was out there listening. Sitting exactly where he had predicted he would be. Aloof and away and apart. Cody wondered if had celebrated his victory after all. If when he left the arena after Full Gear, anyone had been there to shake his hand or congratulate him. If anyone had seen him smile about it. There was this large part of Cody that wanted that smile to remain something hidden - something that only he had been able to catch a glimpse of. It felt a little arrogant and more than a little selfish but he wanted that almost softness to be _his_. 

So he spoke.

Cody made a point of congratulating Darby on becoming the new TNT champion on national television. He said such things on social media but this was better. Everyone could hear him say the words. Darby could hear him say them. The lights and the distance meant he couldn't exactly see him out in the crowd but that was okay. He knew he was out there as he stated out loud something that earlier tonight Arn had definitely not been pleased to hear. Cody wasn't going to ask for a rematch for the TNT championship any time in the near future. It felt good to finally say it after rolling the idea around in his head for the past few days. He was floating the idea of facing off against MJF again - that loss still ate at him - since just saying the man's name would likely be enough to get his attention when he felt someone grab him from behind.

By the time his back was painfully impacting the canvas, Cody knew it was Brian Cage. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ricky Starks running in from backstage. Taz had apparently added him to his list of targets on a more permanent basis. Great. His midsection hurt - powerslams were such a bitch - and he knew things were quickly going south for him. It figured Taz couldn't just be happy with his five minutes in the spotlight at the beginning of Dynamite; he had to have his goons muscle in for a little extra time. But dealing with Taz directly was a problem for later. Right now, Cody had to find a way to keep from getting his ass kicked. 

Or not.

Because that was Darby's music.

The song wasn't the type of music that he usually liked but it was currently Cody's new favorite sound in the entire universe.

And that wasn't just because the first few notes had both Cage and Starks backing off him and frantically searching for Darby.

It took a moment but Cody finally spotted him making his way down through the stands. Coming to his rescue. He knew that it was only because they had a common enemy - because Darby and Team Taz were still feuding - but the sight made his heart skip a beat. It stopped for a second all together as Darby leaped the barricade more fluidly than Cody thought he had ever seen anyone do it. Hopefully, the camera angle didn't quite catch the amazed and pleased look on his face.

Were those thumbtacks all over Darby's jacket?

That made sense, in its own way. 

And it definitely looked good on him.

Cody watched Darby dodge Starks taking a swing at him before he launched himself backwards off the ropes and hit Starks full-on with that lethal jacket of his. That had to hurt but Cody didn't feel a single ounce of sympathy. Darby was turning his attention to Cage - taunting him - and he was determined to not only help but also get in a few shots of his own. A kick to the gut and a right hand strike later and before Cody could blink, Darby had thrown himself into Cage. Another win for the thumbtack jacket. Both Cage and Starks were on the outside now and Cody watched Darby jump up to the top of a ring post as he removed his own jacket just in case they were stupid enough to get back in the ring.

But thankfully, they were too cowardly to be that idiotic.

Reaching out, Cody went to touch Darby - it was an automatic and completely on-air acceptable response to someone coming to your aid, after all. But he had to pull his hand away at the last second before he stabbed himself with those thumbtacks. So at this exact second, the jacket was more than a little annoying. Darby was alternating between looking at him and keeping his eyes on the retreating threesome. Everything about Darby right now was the Darby he had come to expect to see - full of intensity and this barely controlled violence - and having it directed at common foes instead of himself was actually kind of nice.

Being thwarted in his quest to physically touch Darby? Less than nice.

Equally less than nice was the oddly timed arrival of Will Hobbs from backstage. He certainly gave off a menacing appearance, swinging a chair and staring down Team Taz. But Cody had completely forgotten all about him until this very moment. Darby already had someone to watch his back. He already had an ally. They had had everything in hand, though. Team Taz was already walking away. There was no reason for Hobbs to be out here. They were just fine on their own. Cody tried to focus on Darby's presence in the ring but the moment of the two of them fighting side-by-side was lost. 

Methodically, he shook Hobbs's hand when he extended it for a handshake but there was little behind the motion. But then Hobbs repeated the gesture with Darby and Cody was miffed. That just wasn't fair. Why did he get to touch? But Cody quickly realized that he could use Hobbs's actions as an excuse and reached out toward Darby for a handshake of his own. The brief contact wasn't exactly what he wanted but it was something. 

The pain from Cage's powerslam was lingering more than he'd like and Cody found himself grabbing at his midsection. A moment or two more of posing for the cameras as they went to commercial but then he was going backstage. As painful and annoying as Taz's ambush had been, it had given Darby a reason to come to his aid. So now he had two things to thank Darby for and Cody intended to do so as soon as he possibly could. 

And maybe find out where he'd bought the muffin because it really was that good. 

They made their way to the back and Hobbs wandered off after giving another confirmation of his willingness to fight with them. At least that's what Cody was pretty sure he had said. He wasn't exactly paying attention. His focus was on Darby, who was being handed his title by a runner who must have retrieved it from the nosebleeds for him. Darby, who was just walking away and apparently not intending to say anything to him.

"Darby!"

That was probably a bit louder than necessary.

He turned around, though, which made Cody feel a little bit better. This close, the thumbtack-covered jacket looked even better on Darby and Cody tried to strike a balance between looking completely disinterested in Darby's general being and far too interested in the incredibly appealing man standing in front of him. He could only hope that he was vaguely successful. 

"Cody."

And that was his first name. This conversation was already starting better than he had hoped.

"I wanted to say thank you." Cody wondered if Darby had any idea just how blue his eyes were. "You saved me twice today."

Darby just shrugged like it was nothing but Cody wasn't going to let the events of tonight pass so easily unremarked. It mattered - bringing him food on a typically busy Dynamite day and having his back against Team Taz had equal weight in Cody's eyes. 

"Twice?"

He looked confused and there was something that could only be described as adorable about the expression. It wasn't _that_ smile but there was this layer of vulnerability to it and Cody was charmed all over again.

"You have no idea how hungry and _too busy_ I was earlier." Darby's eyes widened in realization and Cody was belatedly relieved at the definitive confirmation that his gifts _had_ been from Darby. "You'll have to tell me where you bought the muffin from because it was delicious."

Darby was blushing.

Like his cheeks were actually turning red as Darby's gaze dropped to his feet. It was somehow even more captivating than him confused. 

"I… uh… I made it."

What?

"You baked for me?"

That was all he could say. He'd spent the past couple of days having such a hard time focusing because he kept thinking of Darby - all the while certain that Darby never thought of him. Finding the coffee and the muffin had been astounding. But this was something else. This was Darby taking time and putting in effort to make _him_ something. For all of his sometimes loquacious promos and time spent charming ad execs and negotiating with lawyers, Cody was at a total loss about what to do or say. 

When was the last time anyone had done something that _sweet_ for him?

Suddenly Cody wanted them to be anywhere else. They were standing in the middle of a hallway, surrounded by the faint sounds of people coming and going. He found himself almost desperately wishing for the slightest bit of privacy so they had a better chance of being uninterrupted and unobserved. It wasn't that he didn't want anyone to see him with Darby but more that Cody worried any sort of anything would break this little spell.

Because this was that almost softness.

All of that intensity that Darby displayed in the ring was completely gone and there was no aloofness in those red cheeks and downturned eyes. And he still couldn't touch him. That jacket was as much defensive protection as it was an offensive weapon.

"I had the ingredients. It's not a big deal."

Darby still wasn't looking at him and Cody had no idea how to encourage him. His plan included steps about how to gain Darby's trust - not how to react to a shy Darby who _baked_ for him. 

"It is to me."

That wasn't the completely wrong thing to say because Darby's eyes lifted a bit - still not meeting Cody's gaze but instead hovering somewhere around his neck. 

"Why are you…"

The muttered, unfinished question reminded Cody of his abrupt phone call with Darby on Monday. He'd said something similar then too. But this… shyness… gave him an idea of how that question was supposed to end. But how should he answer it? How to tell Darby that his interest was genuine - his intentions romantic? The honest truth seemed like too much too soon and waxing poetic about the gentle beauty of _that_ smile was probably - definitely - the wrong call. The last thing he wanted to do was spook Darby but Cody had no idea how to not do that.

"Because I like what I see when I look at you."

Cody left the words bare - no showman's charm, just honest sincerity - and waited. He wasn't sure what sort of response he was waiting for but at this very moment, though, what he wanted the most was for Darby to look at him again. His answer was in Darby's eyes. He _knew_ it. Cody was so focused on that - on watching those blue eyes - that he missed Darby moving until he felt the lightest of touches against his neck. His tattoo, to be precise. Darby was right there - closer than he'd been a moment before - and still not meeting his eyes but that seemed almost insignificant in comparison to that faint contact. 

"The lines are clean." One of Darby's fingers slowly traced along the outline of his tattoo and Cody immediately wondered if he was imagining the entire sensation. "It suits you."

"Yeah?"

No one ever said anything remotely nice about the tattoo on his neck. It was routinely mocked in his own locker room and on social media posts he perversely sought out. But here was Darby, looking at it with what looked like an appreciative eye from this angle. He wasn't smiling but Cody could swear that the touch of his fingers left an unfamiliar warmth behind on each bit of skin they brushed.

"I like it." 

"You're in a club of two, then."

That… that of all things… finally made Darby meet his eyes. And he was bewildered again - like he couldn't possibly understand that they were the only two people who liked his tattoo. It was still charming.

"You and me doesn't sound too bad."

Before he could say anything - even if he could manage to form words to something so wonderful and beyond promising - Cody could hear his name being shouted down the hallway. He was going to ignore it but Darby obviously heard it too because his hand fell away from his neck which made Cody oddly and irrationally angry. But that blank aloofness didn't re-emerge. Instead, Darby looked as irritated at being interrupted as he felt and that was just as promising. 

It was Wednesday, though. And Cody knew he was busy. Part of the balancing act of being both wrestler and executive. Just because his on-air job was done for the night didn't mean that he was done for the night.

"Darby, I…"

"Seems like you've got work to do, Ace."

One corner of Darby's mouth was curved upward and it wasn't quite a smile - let alone _that_ smile - but it was the closest thing Cody had seen since.

"Unfortunately."

He probably wisely kept the second half of that sentence - _I'd rather stay in this moment with you_ \- to himself. But something in his own expression must have given the sentiment away because Darby was starting to blush again. 

"I'll see you next week."

That was too damn long. It just was. An entire week was possibly long enough for things to change too much. Where they were right now was pretty good, if Cody could say so himself. Darby had touched him, called him 'Ace' again, baked for him, and liked his tattoo. A week with no contact could alter any of that somehow.

"I'll call you before then."

Cody knew he probably sounded too eager again but that curve spread and deepened into something that just might be a smile.

"I'd like that."

Additional voices were added to the shouting and Cody reached out to touch Darby's arm before he remembered about that jacket of his. That would have to wait for a different day. Cody walked down the hallway - toward work and away from Darby - but on an insistent impulse, he quickly turned his head to look back at where he'd been. And there was Darby, those blue eyes watching him go.

The plan might need a slight bit of editing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Darby's idea of flirting to compliment Cody's tattoo? Yes. Yes, it is.


	4. The Friday After Dynamite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darby has Opinions about salt and Cody has Opinions about spam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a heads-up: in my little universe here, everybody in AEW just kinda rents a place to live in Jacksonville because flying back and forth sucks.

Cody got a text message from Darby on Thursday evening.

He stared at the notification for a solid thirty minutes before he worked up the courage to open it. It wasn't that he was a coward but that message could be so many different things - and so many of those things could be the opposite of what he wanted. Because as it turned out, the moment with Darby in the hallway had made things worse.

Not because of any fallout or an unanswered phone call but because now his imagination had _details_ to work with. Now Cody knew the exact shade of pinkish-red that spread across Darby's cheeks when he blushed. Or the way one of his eyebrows quirked when he was confused. Those long fingers had touched him - tracing the outline of his neck tattoo. Speaking of such things, Darby _liked_ his tattoo. Nobody else but him liked that tattoo.

_"You and me doesn't sound too bad."_

Darby had said that. Yet another detail his mind repeatedly came back to. It wasn't quite as difficult to focus as it had been before Dynamite, thankfully. What was worse was the hope he had. There had been potential and possibility in that moment with Darby and Cody couldn't help but wonder what could develop next time they were together. It seemed like… just maybe, his interest was reciprocated. Darby had touched him; there had been no need to do that - but he had. He had wanted to. In contrast, Cody had been repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to touch Darby by that thumbtack-covered jacket. Maybe next time. 

That maybe was what made him hesitant to open Darby's text. What if Darby said to not bother calling? Or that he didn't need Cody's help with Team Taz because he had _Will Hobbs_ to watch his back? Cody knew that Hobbs was probably a perfectly decent person but he was Darby's ally and that made him cranky.

Jealous. The actual word was jealous.

But Cody wanted to be more than just an ally so he opened the text message. Which had not a single word at all. Instead, it was a picture of the sunset. Taken from what Cody guessed was a skatepark since there were ramps and rails at the edges of the picture. Darby had sent him a photo. Cody stared at it, trying to figure out if it had some sort of deeper meaning. But all he could decide upon was that Darby had been watching the sun set, taken a photo, and sent it to him. 

There was an easy beauty to the picture - colors bursting across the sky - and even though Cody didn't think of himself as an expert on such things, he knew it was a good photo. The fact that it was in color made him pause, though. Darby's vignettes were normally in black or white. Sepia-toned, if there was any color at all. And a quick check of his social media showed no sign of this particular photo. Which meant this picture was for him. Darby had been thinking of _him._

Again.

And now Cody had no idea how to respond. He was at home, waiting for water to boil so he could make pasta. It was a boring, mundane activity - nothing quite like the skating Darby had probably been doing. But somehow, a picture seemed like the right response. It was an odd instinct but his instincts and his planning hadn't completely messed things up with Darby yet. Cody's own idea had been to wait until tomorrow to call him - trying to avoid coming across as way too overly eager for a simple conversation. But instead, Darby had been the one to reach out first. To re-establish a connection with him. The plan - which still needed editing - didn't help with that particular variant, either. 

So he snapped a picture of the pot on the stove with the box of rotini noodles on the counter next to it and quickly sent it along to Darby before he could second guess himself. Cody wasn't quite sure what he expected but it definitely wasn't a reply five seconds later.

A message this time: _Add salt to the water once it boils._

He never did that. Were you supposed to do that? Did Darby bake _and_ cook? That simple possibility somehow made him even more attractive and appealing. Cody didn't even question the apparent knowledge and fired off a quick reply.

_How much?_

The answer came back so fast that it only would have been possible if Darby had been holding his phone in his hands waiting for an answer. Cody felt the warmth on his cheeks and almost wished that Darby was there to see him blush.

_What kind of salt do you have?_

Cody had no idea why that mattered but he replied with a picture of the generic, house-brand iodized salt he had in the cabinet. Darby's reply was even quicker than the last one.

No photo or words this time - only an emoji face rolling its eyes.

Apparently, there was an issue with his salt. Darby's response made him chuckle even as he glared at the offending container. 

Another message came in: _Try 1 tablespoon_ _but you need better salt, Ace._

He was still 'Ace.' It was as if that had become Darby's nickname - or even endearment - for him and there wasn't a force strong enough on the planet to make him question that. Darby didn't ever seem to speak much to other members of their roster but Cody had a nickname and he was both possessive and protective of that fact.

_Maybe you need to show me what to buy._

Cody sent the text before he could change his mind and found himself regretting it as the water finally started to boil. The pasta and the tablespoon of salt was added to the water and still no response. He stirred the pasta and waited - hoping that he hadn't inadvertently said the wrong thing. It wasn't until he was sitting down with his grilled chicken breast and pasta - melted butter and black pepper serving as the sauce and seasoning - that his phone beeped with a message from Darby.

_You could come with me next time I get groceries._

That was _definitely_ not what he expected.

What he had hoped for was a simple picture of the apparently better salt that Darby bought. A continuation of their dialogue. An explanation of why the water had 'needed' the salt in the first place. This was an offer, though. An invitation to be around Darby doing something that had absolutely nothing to do with a wrestling ring or feuding with Team Taz. And now Cody knew exactly how to edit his plan.

Part Three (original): Find excuses to spend time with Darby at work

Part Three (edited): Spend time with Darby outside of work

Cody hoped that Darby's offer wasn't an off-the-cuff thing to not be taken seriously. Taking that much longer to respond - after a handful of rapidfire messages - seemed to signify that it had taken Darby time to decide how he wanted to answer. And that offer was what he had come up with. Every second that he thought about it, the more attached Cody became to the image of wandering up and down the aisles of a grocery store with Darby. What sort of things did he buy? Did he make a list - Cody was a big fan of an itemized list - or just grab random things off the shelf? It was exactly the sort of mundane thing that he wanted to do with someone. And he wanted that someone to be Darby.

_Name the time and place and I'll be there._

He was half-way through a chicken breast when Darby answered with an address and tomorrow at 11:30 am. Cody sent his response before he could talk himself out of it. 

_It's a date._

***

How early was too early?

It was fifteen minutes before they were supposed to meet but there was no sign of Darby yet. Cody knew that he was probably a bit too early but he'd been excited - there was nothing wrong with that. He'd gotten up early, walked Pharaoh early, worked out early, and eaten breakfast early. Getting dressed had taken longer, though. A suit was way too much - the last thing he wanted to look like today was an executive - and he'd vetoed a dress shirt and slacks for the exact same reason. But he hadn't wanted to go too far in the casual direction either. He'd stared at his closet for a good ten minutes before accepting the fact that he wanted to look nice for Darby.

The blue polo shirt he was wearing supposedly accentuated the color of his eyes, the jeans were brand new, and the sneakers were comfortable. Approachable and hopefully attractive.

He hadn't heard from Darby since he'd sent that last text message yesterday. Cody hoped that was a good sign or at least a neutral one. Almost as much as he hoped Darby would arrive soon. Standing outside of a grocery store was more awkward than he thought it would be. He had debated waiting inside of his car but he hadn't wanted to take the risk of missing Darby or him thinking - even for a moment - that Cody was a no-show. Constantly reminding himself to try and not seem quite so eager around Darby definitely wasn't working. But that moment at Dynamite on Wednesday had just made him want more of those moments. 

There was _something_ there between him and Darby. Something almost tangible and sweet and without a doubt, something worth pursuing. 

"Cody?"

And somehow, Darby was standing right next to him.

That confused look was back on his face and there was a skateboard tucked under his arm. How on earth did he keep missing Darby being _right there_?

"Hi."

That was not eloquent. That was not eloquent because there was a problem. Cody knew that Darby didn't wear the face paint all of the time but he was wearing it almost every time that Cody interacted with him. And this was definitely the first time that Cody had seen Darby without it since Full Gear and that almost softness and _that_ smile. Because Cody was looking at Darby - no blank aloofness to be seen and no smeared face paint to block a thing - and his heart was beating so loudly that he wouldn't be surprised if Darby could hear it. 

And was that stubble? 

He looked _good_ like that - unmasked and open and beside him. Cody dared to let his gaze wander beyond that face and that was probably a bad idea. His eyes caught on a tight black t-shirt and a pair of tight black pants and Cody was _thirsty_ \- in more ways than one.

"Sorry I'm late." A quick check of his watch said that it was still ten minutes before they were supposed to meet. The concern about punctuality made Darby yet more attractive to Cody's eyes. "I was trying to land a varial double flip but I couldn't get it."

"You will."

Cody didn't have a single clue about what a 'varial double flip' was but he had no doubt that Darby would eventually get the trick right.

"And you know that… why?"

That was easy.

"Because you're you."

Something about those three words shocked Darby because every ounce of confusion vanished from his face only to be replaced by something entirely different. Darby was looking at him as if he was rare and precious and wonderful and Cody's heart went from beating too loudly to stopping altogether. The idea that having even that little bit of faith of him was _that_ unusual to Darby made Cody feel fortunate and furious all at the same time. It was far too much affection to be experiencing next to a fresh fruit display outside of a Publix on a Friday morning.

"Ace…" There was the slightest brush of fingers against the back of one of his hands and Cody knew the smile on his face was nothing but fondness. "... you needed salt, right?"

It was a blatant tone and topic shift but Cody didn't mind. It had been another moment - another brief touch - and the possibility that this whole little excursion could be full of them was more than promising.

"So you told me." Cody took the chance and copied Darby's gesture - his own fingers quickly sliding across tattooed skin. It was brief but it was a first - no thumbtack jacket in his way this time. "Did you want to leave your skateboard in my car?"

"Okay."

Thankfully, he wasn't parked too far away and they were soon walking inside the grocery store. 

Standard store and standard stuff - other than trying to not stare too hard at Darby as he pulled a crinkled-looking piece of paper out of his back pocket. It wasn't that he was worried that Darby would be offended by him looking - he was almost certain that his gaze was welcome at this point - but more so trying to not be so embarrassingly obvious about it.

"You have a list!" 

He probably sounded way too delighted about something so simple but Darby just smiled at him - a smile that was so close to the one he'd seen all those days ago now. It was such a little thing but it was something that they had in common. 

"Yeah…" Cody couldn't quite make out what was on the list. "Come on."

Bypassing the carts, Darby grabbed a handbasket and headed deeper into the store - Cody at his side. He wanted to offer to carry the basket but that seemed like overkill somehow. Checking his list, Darby picked an aisle and Cody followed. They were close enough that their arms kept brushing against each other as they walked and it seemed neither of them intended to change that. Cody certainly wasn't and the store wasn't particularly crowded so there was no reason for Darby to be that close unless he wanted to be. He knew he probably looked like a dork with an almost goofy grin on his face but Darby was right there and Daily's Place was miles away.

He had no idea what exactly they were searching for but Darby seemed to know exactly where everything was because he wasn't even stopping or looking around that much. Cody wasn't sure if idle chatter was the right thing to fill the silence between them because it wasn't a bad silence. They were doing something together and spending time together and there wasn't really a void that needed to be filled by words.

"Spam?"

Cody stared at the offending item that Darby had stopped to grab and toss in the basket. That was such a weird thing to eat; let alone deliberately put on a grocery list. But Darby was looking at him like _he_ was the weird one. 

"It's good."

"It's canned meat."

"It's still good."

He seriously doubted that.

"It's meat in a _can_ , Darby."

Blue eyes were rolled in very much his direction and Darby grabbed a second can off the shelf and tossed it in the basket. Did he even need two or was he trying to prove a point?

"You should try it with scrambled eggs."

"Seriously?" Cody plucked a can out of the basket and turned it around in his hands, trying to figure out if there was something he was missing. "I might need to be convinced on that one."

Darby took the can out of his hands and their fingers touched and Cody completely forgot what they had been talking about. But he didn't feel too bad about that because Darby was staring at their hands too with that little bit of wonder in his eyes. Somehow in sync, they both looked up and that wonder was still there in those blue eyes.

Another moment…

Or at least it was until a random child barreled into Cody's leg, only to take off with his parent chasing after him. It didn't particularly hurt but he was annoyed at the interruption - until he realized that the unfamiliar sound that he had heard was Darby snickering.

"You really aren't that observant, Ace."

That laugh took the sting out of the words but Cody was still hurt a bit. 

"I'm not usually that bad." He looked Darby directly in the eyes - wanted him to know exactly who had been on his mind. "I've been distracted lately."

"I know." Cody watched as another blush spread across Darby's cheeks and that single bit of confirmation - that this _thing_ wasn't just him - was exactly the sort of thing that he kept hoping for. "Why do you think I kept messing up that trick?"

Oh.

Darby walked away with another word and once his brain was functional again, Cody hurried to catch up. They walked side-by-side to the next aisle Darby needed and Cody couldn't help but smile when he noticed that they were in the baking aisle. Because Darby _baked_. For him. He came to a halt, reached out, and grabbed a container of what was apparently baking powder. Cody had no idea what that was for but Darby looked over at him with a shy half-smile. 

"I'm running low after baking the muffins."

Plural?

Did someone else get a muffin?

"There was more than one?" 

Cody knew that you didn't just bake a single muffin individually but the idea that Darby might have given someone else a muffin made him… cranky.

"Yeah, I ate the rest of them." That was okay, he supposed. "Next time, I'll just give you the whole half-dozen."

That wasn't quite what he wanted.

"Next time… we share them."

Darby dropped the baking powder into his basket and nodded before moving further down the aisle. It wasn't quite a verbal acknowledgement of his words but Cody hoped he understood the shyness - this was quickly becoming _a lot_ for him too. This was a real thing - not just a single moment in an empty hallway after Full Gear. This was all of these moments starting to add together and form something else. It was the start of something good.

When Cody got his mind to focus again, Darby was standing down at the other end of the aisle - his eyebrow raised and his finger pointed at something on the shelf. With a few quick strides, Cody was once again standing beside him and looking at the notorious boxes of salt. Darby picked up a container of the apparently offensive iodized salt. 

"Never, Ace." The look in Darby's eyes was incredibly similar to the intense one he wore in the ring but there was something very out-of-place about it here in a grocery store as Darby waggled a container of salt at his face. "Promise me you'll throw it out."

There were many things that Cody wanted to promise Darby - none of which had anything to do with salt - but this wasn't the time or the place.

"Scout's honor."

There was that adorably confused look again and it was still ridiculously charming. 

"You were a boy scout?"

"Nope." 

And now Darby was looking at him with the same burgeoning fondness Cody felt every time he thought about Darby lately. They were just smiling at each other over a container of bad salt and it was almost like there was no one else in the store despite the people passing back and forth behind them. It was a quiet sort of moment until Cody saw Darby's eyes dart slightly downward and realized that he was looking at his lips. And now Cody was copying the motion as he wondered just what Darby might taste like. A voice in the back of his mind was screaming what sounded like a commandment at the top of its lungs.

_Thou shall not kiss Darby Allin in the baking aisle of the grocery store._

It kept repeating over and over again and Cody knew that listening to it was a good idea. But Darby was _right there_ and looking too damn enticing and willing to be kissed. Cody wanted their first - not only - kiss to be a good one, though, and this wasn't exactly a place where they could take their time with such things. It was tempting. So very tempting.

"Kosher salt."

Cody's brain wasn't quite comprehending the words that had come out of that appealing mouth.

"Huh?"

"The salt that you should get… it's...uh…" There was that blush again and Darby was seemingly deliberately not looking at him as he put the container back on the shelf. He then crouched down, still avoiding Cody's eyes. "... this one."

He was pointing at a blue box that Cody could easily see but it would only be polite to crouch down next to Darby so he could get a better view. Of the salt, of course. Taking a deep breath to steady his own shaky nerves, Cody reached out and rested his hand on the middle of Darby's back. It was deliberate and casual and Cody almost desperately hoped that Darby didn't react badly. But nothing happened. He didn't flinch, his back didn't stiffen, he didn't jump up or move away, nothing. Darby just stayed like he was - as if that sort of contact had happened between them a hundred times before. Like they were supposed to be just like that. 

"So why is this salt better than the other salt?"

Even without Darby looking at him, this close up, Cody could see the way the corners of Darby's eyes crinkled when he was amused and he was suddenly compelled to make that happen as often as he could. 

"Do you want me to explain about the difference in salt crystals or will you just believe me if I say it tastes better?"

"Oh, I believe you."

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them but Cody didn't mind as Darby finally met his eyes again. They were far too close and in far too much of their own private world. It made it difficult to focus on anything other than wanting to be even closer to Darby. To touch and hold and caress. And kiss. He definitely hadn't forgotten about that one.

Although, he did still kind of want to ask Darby to explain the salt crystal thing if only to listen to him talk and to learn something new. Grabbing a box off the shelf, Darby stood back up and Cody followed - his hand staying right where it was on Darby's back. He couldn't quite bring himself to move it until he was forced to by mere physics and the limitations of anatomy. The box went in the basket and Cody was confused.

"Did you need some too?"

"No…" Darby was blushing again. He really needed to stop doing that - for the sake of Cody's self-control, if nothing else. "... that one is yours."

Cody looked down, trying to find the price tag so he knew how much money he needed to give Darby when suddenly there was a hand on his forearm. His eyes weren't going to look anywhere else but at that single point of contact. Darby's fingers were warm - there was no reason why they wouldn't be - but it was still… nice.

"I got it, Ace."

At this point, Cody _knew_ that he was never going to get tired of hearing Darby call him that. Especially in these moments of theirs when it could so easily be more endearment than nickname.

"That's not necessary." Darby's eyes narrowed like he was getting ready to argue but Cody had an idea. A completely perfect idea. "But... if you insist, then you have to let me buy you dinner." There was that confused look again and Cody forced himself to focus. "I mean, if the salt really is going to make so many of my meals taste better, then the least I can do is treat you to one."

That sounded totally reasonable, didn't it? 

"Cody…" Somehow Darby managed to look both exasperated and fond at the exact same time. "You really are charming, aren't you?"

"I don't know. Is it working?"

That was as blatant as either of them had spoken about what was going on between them and Cody was more uncertain about Darby's response than he wanted to be. Especially as Darby closed his eyes and shook his head a bit.

"Yeah."

His voice was quieter than it had been but Cody could hear him easily. They were looking at each other again and once again, that fondness was right there - almost tangible.

"That's good to know." 

They should probably be leaving this aisle now. Cody had no idea how long they had been standing there, blocking any other shopper from buying new salt. He only felt so bad about being a possible obstruction; there would be no apology for enjoying another of these moments with Darby, no matter what form it took. Apparently, Darby had the same idea as he took a few steps backward and indicated that he was headed to the other end of the aisle with a jerk of his head. 

But it seemed like Darby was walking toward the checkout lines. That didn't really make any sense. All that was in the basket was spam, salt, and baking powder.

"What else is on the list?"

"Nothing."

Darby kept walking but it still didn't make any sense. He hadn't really needed to go grocery shopping so why were they even here.

"Then why did you…"

And Cody couldn't quite finish the sentence because once again, Darby started to blush - and it was still distracting as could be. There was no reason for it - nothing for him to be embarrassed about. It wasn't like he'd faked going needing to go to the store or something.

Oh. 

He _had_. That was exactly what Darby had done. He'd made up an excuse and a paltry list of three items - one of which wasn't even for him. But why would he even do that? What was the purpose of such a thing?

Oh.

"Darbs?" The nickname escaped and Cody just went with it. He'd called Darby that on social media a couple of times but saying it to him was new. It made Darby stop and turn to face him, though - his expression just blank enough to make Cody hesitate to continue. "Is this just a reason to spend time together?"

Cody's voice was softer than it had been and he wasn't sure if he wanted Darby to recognize the layers of hope in it. He _had_ to have, though, because his hope was mirrored by those blue eyes. 

"I… uh… I mean…" Once again, Cody wished they were anywhere else - somewhere more private - because all he wanted to do was pull Darby into his arms. Someday. Someday, he would do exactly that. "You finally noticed something."

_Thou shall not kiss Darby Allin next to a discount Cheerios display._

Darby slowly blinked at him before turning and walking toward an open checkout line. Why was he seemingly always a step behind? Probably because Darby kept surprising him. It wasn't the bad sort of surprising, though. He _liked_ the unexpectedness of what was underneath that thumbtack jacket. How on the other side of the face paint and the intensity and the aloofness, Darby was shy and sweet. Cody didn't have a clue what it was that he had done to earn the privilege of seeing it but he _did_ know he was going to do everything he could to keep seeing it.

They stood beside each other as Darby put the basket up on the conveyor belt and Cody tried not to let his mind wander in certain directions as Darby tossed a packet of spearmint gum in at the last second. Paying for the handful of items was quickly handled as Cody hoped not arguing about it got him one step closer to being able to pay for a meal for two. 

As they stepped outside, Cody realized that he didn't want their time together to be over quite yet. Contrived excuse or not, this little outing of theirs had been a good thing. Little moments all strung together as they built _something_. He kept learning new tidbits about Darby: he baked and made grocery lists and was ridiculously kissable. There had to be another thing that they could do together today. Maybe Darby knew somewhere good nearby to grab lunch - he could pay for that meal now if Darby was up for it. 

"Which one was your car?"

"I'll show you."

With a deep breath for courage, Cody reached out and took Darby's free hand in his. He tried not to think too much about it - make too big a deal about doing it - but he couldn't help but look down at their hands. Quickly glancing back up, Cody's gaze met Darby's and everything froze. Sounds around them disappeared. Distant traffic, carts being pushed, people chattering - all gone. Because there was _that_ smile. Outside of a grocery store on an inconsequential early Friday afternoon, Darby was looking at him with _that_ smile on his face. Not because of a hard-fought victory or finally winning a title but because they were holding hands. On what was a seemingly shared reflex, they had laced their fingers together and that warmth and sensation was probably imprinted on his mind for good now.

Cody started walking toward his car and there was no resistance from Darby. He almost needed the motion to help clear his head and organize his thoughts. Holding his hand made Darby smile _that_ smile. Their hands were still clasped together and Cody was already dreading having to let go. It was just that they _fit_ together in a way he couldn't describe. If he was being fantastical about it, it was as if his hand had been designed to hold Darby's. And that feeling was new and different and frightening and wonderful. He wanted more of this: more moments and grocery store trips and holding hands. And it seemed with reach, like it was all right there just waiting for them both. But so was his car.

"I… um… I should probably get going."

Not yet. Please not yet.

"You don't have to. We could get lunch or drive around or something."

Darby shook his head but they were still holding hands so his words couldn't be that objectionable. Or at least that was what Cody was hoping.

"I'm actually headed out of town." That made no sense. "I'm going to go film some stuff."

That made more sense.

"Now?"

"I was supposed to leave this morning but I wanted to see you and..."

Cody wasn't sure how that sentence was intended to end but Darby was blushing again and they were still holding hands and he'd wanted to see _him_ and his self-control had had enough.

Darby's eyes widened as Cody's free hand came to rest against his cheek, thumb brushing across those tempting lips once before Cody leaned in and kissed him. He had every intention of being quick - of keeping things brief and light - but the grocery bag hit the pavement with a thud and there was an answering pressure against his lips. Darby's now-free hand gripped right above his hip, tugging Cody ever-so-slightly closer with their joined hands trapped between them. 

There was a gentle tenderness to the way Darby's lips moved against his and it made Cody wonder just how deep within him that softness ran. How many times had he buried it and protected it. Just how rarely was anyone allowed to see it. And in their kiss, Cody tried to show Darby that he could be trusted with it. With _him_.

Too quickly for the warmth that had taken up residence beneath his ribs, they parted, still lingering close - Darby's forehead briefly resting against his.

"Ace…" It was an endearment. In that moment, it could be nothing else. "I'll see you on Tuesday."

Tuesday? He was confused for a second until his kiss-addled mind managed to recall that Darby was booked for a non-match segment on the next episode of Dark. Cody had no idea who was scheduled to run the go-position that night but by Tuesday, it was going to be him.

"I'll be there."

The grocery bag was reclaimed, the car was unlocked, the salt was exchanged for a skateboard. All the while, they were still holding hands, even when it made maneuvering difficult. Cody almost greedily wanted more kisses and more time but he knew he needed to be patient. This was a beginning and it was a good one.

"Is it okay if I message you while I'm gone?"

They were still holding hands, even though it looked like it was awkward for Darby to be holding the bag and the skateboard in one hand. They had flirted - Cody felt comfortable calling it that - through a grocery store and had kissed in the parking lot. But still, Darby sounded uncertain and Cody hoped patience would help with that too.

"Please."

The single word earned Cody a quick but soft kiss on his cheek as Darby briefly squeezed his hand before finally letting go. Another smile and a shake of his head and Darby was off, weaving through the parking lot with the bag and a piece of Cody's heart in his hand.

_Thou shall discover that Darby Allin is a really good kisser in a grocery store parking lot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I totally googled skateboard tricks for this and the varial double flip that Darby mentions is a real skateboarding trick. It's just more commonly known as a nightmare flip. Once I read that, I had to include it. I just had to.


	5. Dark (November 17th, 2020)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cody declares himself the Prince Charming of Pro Wrestling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A heads-up: I am aware that Dark is not live and Dynamite is sometimes taped but it just works better for this story if everything is happening live as it airs.

Cody was confused. Pleasantly surprised but confused nonetheless.

He had found, over the past few days, that he was actually able to focus like a successful wrestler and executive vice president should be able to focus. He completed tasks, responded to emails on time, and did not - even once - get lost on his morning runs. Instead of his mind going off wandering of its own free will, he handled what needed to get handled albeit with a probably too-soft smile on his face.

The smile hadn't faded in all those days, either. It was there when he woke up and it was there when he tried to go to sleep. It was there every time he picked up his phone but that part actually made sense. He and Darby had continued to exchange messages and photos the entire time Darby was off filming and as Cody had gone about his business. Days began with 'good morning' texts and it was fantastic. 

Cody _knew_ that Darby was thinking about him and somehow that made it easier to not be distracted by thoughts of him. They made tentative plans - shared suggestions about other things they could do together - and it felt like possibilities rather than evasions. Like when Darby had seemed disturbingly unaware of Star Wars in general and Cody's idea of taking a day off and doing a movie marathon had been met with an offer to bring popcorn. 

The messages hadn't been distracting or become an interruption; instead, they were reassuring and a confirmation. They could work. They could be good together. His day had flowed better; he had felt lighter. But for all that Cody had managed to not be distracted during his waking hours, sleep had been another matter entirely. He never slept well - it had always been elusive - but it had been particularly bad ever since their grocery store date. Lying in bed seemed to give his mind permission to switch all of its focus to Darby. Specifically to their first kiss. How delicately Darby had kissed him - the gentle tenderness that Cody still felt protective of. He wanted more of those kisses and any others Darby was willing to share with him.

It had been too long since they had seen each other. Texts and photos were great but he couldn't wait to be around Darby again. To hold his hand again. To see _that_ smile again. He'd been travelling most of their off days but was scheduled to be on Dark tonight and Cody had no doubts that he would be there.

His eagerness to see Darby again had him at Daily's Place earlier than he probably needed to be there. However, that eagerness was tempered by an almost worried nervousness. What would it be like to see Darby with the face paint again? The thumbtack jacket and the intensity and the aloofness would all be there. But would he still be able to see _his_ Darby underneath all of that? 

"Cody?"

He looked up from the monitors in front of him and there was Darby, standing beside him with a bemused look on his face. Seriously?

"Not again."

And now Darby was chuckling at him. There was a smile on his face and while it wasn't _that_ smile, it was clearly visible despite the intact face paint and their surroundings. Annoyingly, the thumbtack jacket was back which ruled out any sort of physical contact. Getting stabbed by thumbtacks wasn't exactly how he wanted to start their night. It still looked good on him, though, so at least there was that.

"It's good to see you too."

Despite his words, Darby was still smiling - playful and sweet - and looking happy to see him. It was the same sort of happiness that Cody hoped was reflected in his own smile.

"You're early."

Darby shrugged as he held out a brown paper bag that Cody hadn't noticed before. It was familiar - and so was the smell.

"You don't have to keep baking for me, you know."

It was a natural objection but one he fervently hoped Darby ignored. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. Darby seemed unimpressed by his words since he set the bag down on the table in front of him with only a quick roll of his eyes.

"When was the last time you ate?"

Cody had no idea. Not a single clue. When he got busy, things like just slipped his mind and there was enough to do that he couldn't remember the last time he had stopped to eat. His first muffin from Darby could have been an apology. This was definitely not that, though.

"I had breakfast for sure."

He was even less impressed with that answer.

"Ace…" There was no mocking or patronizing in Darby's tone. Just worry and concern and affection. He still had no idea how he managed to earn such things from Darby but he was going to do everything he could to keep them. "Eat your muffin." 

Darby stared at him until he grabbed the bag and reached inside. Apparently, he was not getting out of eating. It was an odd feeling - someone trying to take care of him. Cody had no intention of taking it for granted but he wanted the opportunity to get used to it. Wanted Darby to stay in his life like this. 

"There's two of them?"

Cody turned around since Darby had moved out of his range of vision only to find Darby removing the thumbtack jacket and draping it over a production crate behind him. Pulling an empty chair over, Darby sat down beside him - close enough to touch. And Cody had no idea what threw him off-balance more - Darby's proximity or just how see-through the sheer black shirt he had on underneath that jacket was.

"You said next time we should share."

And that simple sentence easily re-centered him. A light pink tint spread across Darby's unpainted cheek and Cody couldn't help but smile at the shyness. This was the Darby that he had kissed in the parking lot only now he was right beside him at Daily's Place. Cody watched as he pulled a pair of water bottles out of a bag and set them on the desk in front of him. He really had brought them both something to eat.

"Apple cinnamon again?"

It wasn't a complaint but he quickly realized how it could be taken that way. Cody was about to clarify when Darby chuckled.

"I take requests… if you ask nicely."

Just what did Darby consider nicely? Would a kiss count? 

'Asking nicely' translating to 'if you kiss me' would be _great_.

"I'll… uh… keep that mind." That was not suave or charming but at least, it was mostly coherent. "I'm surprised you had time to bake, though."

Darby had talked about his schedule in their messages; Cody had been pretty sure that Darby had said that he was going straight from filming more vignettes to the arena tonight. But here he was with more muffins. He had definitely baked them - each bite was as good as Cody's memory claimed.

"Came back early."

The words were quiet and Darby wasn't quite looking at him. It confused Cody for a moment until he realized exactly what he was implying. Darby had come back early _for him_. To bake him a muffin, to make sure that he ate, to spend time with him. Whichever reason it was - all of them would be nice - Cody was beyond touched. There was a warmth spreading from his heart to his toes and he knew the smile on his face was utterly tender again. 

It was impossible to keep his hands to himself. With a quick glance around to make sure no one was lingering too nearby, Cody reached over and took Darby's hand in his. He'd prefer to place a kiss on his cheek but smearing that face paint probably wasn't the greatest idea right now. Instead, he pulled Darby's hand upward and kissed the top of his tattooed knuckles. Their eyes met and there was something so fragile and soft in Darby's gaze that it stole Cody's breath for a moment. 

"Being charming again, Ace?"

That delicate softness was reflected in Darby's voice and the last thing Cody wanted to do was let go of his hand. He sounded as if he was right on the edge of disbelief. And once again, Cody had that urge to pull Darby into his arms - hold him tight - but also once again, this wasn't quite the right time or place. Someday. Maybe tonight after Dark was finished, he could find a decent enough reason to hug him. A 'thank you for the food' maybe? Or a 'good night and see you tomorrow'? Cody finally relinquished Darby's hand with what he hoped was a smooth smile.

"Does that make me the Prince Charming of Pro Wrestling?"

Darby just chuckled again and they sat quietly as they ate. This was something so incredibly new to him. Another busy day of taping but it wasn't just work. And it was good - really good - to be like this, side-by-side with the person he cared about. Cody had swapped so he was working the go-position for this episode of Dark just to have the excuse of spending even a few extra minutes with Darby. And here was Darby - earlier than he needed to be there seemingly just to bring him food. There was a part of him that wanted the work portion of the evening to end already - wanted his responsibilities to lessen to the point that he could sneak away and see if Darby tasted like he remembered. But mostly, Cody was enamored of this little glimpse of what their future could be like.

Dark began and still Darby sat there. Watching wrestlers come and go, scrolling through one thing or another on his phone, looking at the monitors and the matches in front of them. There was no reason for him to be there other than keeping Cody company. They chatted lightly - an occasional comment on a particularly impressive move or sequence and a brief discussion on strategy for their match tomorrow night. There was a missed spot that had Cody raising his voice but a gentle touch to his forearm almost immediately calmed him down. 

This could work.

They could work really well. 

As he handled his responsibilities, there was a part of Cody's mind that kept imagining. Sitting together every week - just like this. Answering emails from a bench at a skatepark. Massaging sore muscles and sharing road trips. Cooking a meal together in Cody's lifeless kitchen. So many possibilities. He could feel Leva and QT looking at them oddly as they all worked. Darby sitting there with him was definitely unusual but hopefully, it would become the new normal.

It was about time for Darby's segment and Cody could see him moving around out of the corner of his eye. Ricky Starks had joined Excalibur and Taz on commentary and Darby was going to go out there and taunt him. Simple five minute bit - a quick reminder of their feud and the tag match tomorrow night on Dynamite. The thumbtack jacket was back on but while that was very noticeable, it was Darby's expression that caught Cody's attention.

The softness and the smile was gone. Like they had never even been there. Perhaps it was weird that he was already expecting to look at Darby and see him smile. Cody knew that it was time for Darby to work - that the look on his face made complete sense. However, there was something painful about seeing that blank aloofness firmly back in place. Knowing the sweetness that lay underneath made it worse somehow. It was like _his_ Darby had never existed, even though he could still taste apple cinnamon muffin on his tongue. He was still there - Cody understood that logically - but the sight was way more disconcerting than he wanted it to be. 

"I'll see you soon, Darbs."

The nickname and the smile were purposeful choices. A reminder to himself - to both of them - of what else they were. It threw him off even further when Darby still didn't smile in return. Darby was on the job, the armor was back up, and there was a part of Cody that was impressed. Watching Darby walk to the entrance tunnel with his title in hand, Cody queued up his music and sat back to watch him work.

And by watching him work, apparently, his brain meant fixate on just how damn attractive Darby was. Each fluid motion, each gesture - even that intensity made Cody too warm underneath his dress shirt. Cody wanted to fast-forward time so this segment and Dark were done so he could reach out and touch and caress. However, as predicted, Starks left the commentary booth to confront Darby but Brian Cage's appearance was completely unexpected. How had he gotten past him? Had he been _that_ focused on watching Darby to miss Cage loitering around? Not on his watch.

Part Two of the Plan: Have Darby's back.

He could do that.

He could do that right now. It was probably crossing an invisible line or two but Darby was staring down Cage and Starks all by himself and Cody was right there. Running the go-position but suddenly that was far less of a priority than it probably should be. He loosened the collar of his shirt with little finesse, grabbed the metal chair he'd been sitting on, and ran out - headset still on and power pack still attached to his belt.

With each step, Cody tried to ignore the teasing voice in the back of his head: _Anything Hobbs can do, I can do better._

That wasn't the point.

It wasn't the _only_ point, he conceded to himself as he swung the chair down onto Cage's back.

Darby didn't exactly look pleased to see him but he was that intense zone of his so Cody tried not to get the wrong idea. Darby had come out to help him before and they were teaming against these two tomorrow night. It probably would have been weirder if he hadn't intervened. And maybe even a bit suspicious - which was definitely something that he was trying to avoid when it came to Darby. They moved together effortlessly and wordlessly again and Cody hoped it was always that way. 

And of course, Cage and Starks were too cowardly to attack them without a clear advantage and they skulked off, which was annoying. A good brawl might have been fun - and further developed the feud. He _did_ get to exchange words with Taz, though. How Darby hadn't punched him by now, he had no idea. And he'd gotten to stand side-by-side Darby again; they could be partners inside _and_ outside of the ring. Darby grabbed his title and they followed one another to and through the tunnel.

QT was thankfully right there not with a lecture but a hand out for him to put the headset in. Definitely a good call; he was just a bit too worked up at the moment to finish handling Dark. Thankfully, the episode was almost over so Cody didn't feel too awful about being done for the night. It was just that there was this electricity still dancing across his skin - that adrenaline rush of confrontation and conflict. 

And there was Darby, bag in hand, watching him with a single eyebrow raised. The blank aloofness was still there - firmly in place. Cody was at his side in as few strides as possible in hopes that maybe he could jar it loose.

It was a bit too noisy and a bit too crowded so by silent agreement, they wandered until they stopped at a quiet alcove. Cody leaned against the wall as Darby stood staring at him. They were alone and away from the ring so seeing that icy expression concerned him. He'd seen Darby drop it far more easily before - like Darby shyly admitting that he baked that first muffin - and that had been when they were less intertwined than they were now. Even if it really hadn't been all that long ago. So the problem wasn't necessarily that. There was a reason _his_ Darby was still missing.

"You didn't have to do that."

Darby's voice was as flat as his eyes were lifeless and the adrenaline rush from earlier completely disappeared as Cody went from concerned to worried. But the worst part was how the words themselves didn't make any sense. 

"Did you really expect me to let you face them two against one?"

"I've done it before." That wasn't a good thing but Darby didn't seem to care about that. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." He had seen Darby get back up from attacks and assaults that would have kept anyone else down for a week. It was a skill that Cody wasn't sure if he wanted to know why or when Darby had developed it. "Darbs…"

He stepped back. The nickname made Darby take a step backwards. Further away. Further for him. Cody went from worried to scared. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

"There's no reason for you to have to deal with my problem."

Cody could list at least a dozen reasons why but somehow he doubted that Darby wanted to hear them or would listen to them right now. Darby was a loner and Cody knew that but this was truly seeing it. This was Darby with all of his barriers up. The Darby he kissed in the parking lot was still in there - just hidden away as soon as risk and pain and trust came into play. 

Darby was trying to protect him - and himself.

"Well, we are tag team partners."

That was the most basic and emotionless reasoning Cody could come up with so he figured it was a good place to start. The least likely to spook Darby even further. 

"Tomorrow night only."

That stung and Cody knew that he wasn't particularly successful at keeping the hurt from showing on his face. And they weren't even supposed to be teaming tomorrow either. The original match had been Cage and Starks versus Darby and Hobbs but Cody had argued and essentially forced his way into being Darby's partner. TK had relented, warning him that Hobbs was going to be informed that it had been Cody's call. It wasn't the finest use of his power as an executive but he had no intention of apologizing for it. At that point, Darby had come to his aid and baked and blushed and complemented his tattoo. Cody wasn't going to miss a single opportunity to fight at his side. To nurture this bond that seemed to be developing between them.

It was withering a bit, at the moment, as Darby tried to put distance between them but Cody could be relentless too.

"Tomorrow night to start." The only response to that was a shake of his head. And not the adorably shy one either. This one was sharper and sterner. "Darby…" Cody took a single step forward and considered it a minor victory when Darby stayed where he was. "It'll be okay."

Another step closer and Darby winced but didn't move. The expression stayed the same, though. 

"You have enough to worry about."

There was the slightest wobble in Darby's voice and it gave Cody a bit of hope. If he was right, the softness was still there and it just might be Darby's motivation for throwing this wall up like this. 

"Maybe…" Another step closer and something flickered behind Darby's eyes. "... but we can worry about this together."

It sounded more than a little sappy and there was a part of Cody that inwardly cringed as soon as the words left his mouth. The words weren't a lie, though, and he really wished that Darby understood that. That urge to pull Darby into his arms was back - stronger than ever before. But once again, that thumbtack jacket was in the way. Cody was pretty sure that asking Darby to take his jacket off so he could hug him was not a good idea right now.

"That's unnecessary."

It was very, very necessary and he was afraid to leave this alcove of theirs until Darby believed that. Cody took one more step closer and now he was close enough to reach out and touch. He wanted to - badly - but the likelihood of being rebuffed made him hesitate. 

"You and me doesn't sound too bad, remember?"

And there was _his_ Darby.

The aloofness cracked and it reminded Cody of that moment all the way back at Full Gear. Kneeling in the ring, holding out the title, and watching Darby fall apart. They had been the only two people in the world at that moment and now it was the same in this one. But Darby's head dropped and his eyes closed, stealing his view.

"Ace…"

Cody could barely hear him - even as close as they were - but that single word was unmistakable. It had been a taunt - a line made up for a bit in a promo - that he had barely thought about. Said the words and moved on. But now, it was more precious to him than he knew how to explain. If the shy Darby who baked was _his_ Darby, then 'Ace' was Darby's Cody. And that quiet sometimes-endearment meant Darby's walls weren't unbreachable.

"That's me."

From this angle, that tiny upward curve of those lips just might be the beginnings of a smile and suddenly, it was easier to breathe.

"Taz won't stop. They won't stop."

Darby sounded so _tired_.

The feud had been going on for months. Cody had discussed it in meetings, penciled in segments and matches, and caught glimpses on monitors. But this was Darby's side of it. Month after month. Barbs and battles, around and around. Allies coming and going but yet he remained. All alone. No wonder Darby was weary and wary especially now that someone - Cody hoped - he cared about was getting dragged into it too.

"So we'll make them." Cody almost brought up that they could count on the Nightmare Family to help too but he knew that that was too much too soon. Maybe someday Darby and Dustin could exchange face paint tips and tricks. That was another nice mental image. "We'll win tomorrow and we'll keep going. Me and you."

Those blue eyes opened but Darby didn't quite look back up at him. Instead, Cody felt fingers tentatively touching his own. Before he could react, Darby took his hands in his - the grip almost a little too tight - as if he was afraid that Cody would disappear on him. But Cody simply returned the grasp just as tightly. It was honestly a bit painful but there was no way he was letting go. Darby slowly raised his head and there was no sign of that blank aloofness. Nothing but tender vulnerability and cautious hope.

"Hey there, Darbs."

The tension in their grips eased just enough to move it from painful to pleasant territory. And they were once again holding hands. This felt more like how they were supposed to be.

"Hi." Enough worry slipped into that expression to make Cody nervous. "I'm sorry about…" Another shake of his head - the vastly preferable shy one this time. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

Not for the first time, Cody wondered just what he had done to be allowed to see this part of Darby. He was sweet and caring and gentle and it felt like this precious secret that he was the only one who knew.

"Then we'll just have to look after each other."

And there was _that_ smile. It was still unlike anything else Cody had ever seen.

"I'm not good at that sort of thing."

Somehow, Cody _knew_ that Darby wasn't just referring to working with a tag team partner.

"You've done pretty well so far." Skepticism was easy to read on Darby's face. "Better than I'm used to, anyway."

He hadn't really intended to say that out loud but Cody supposed it was his turn to be more than a little vulnerable in front of Darby. And his reaction was worth the slight uncomfortability. The tenderness in his eyes wasn't entirely unexpected but the underlying anger was a surprise. Darby looked almost mad that no one had been better to him and Cody had no idea what to do with the emotions that realization made him feel.

"I'll keep that in mind."

At that, Darby pulled his hands away which vaguely irritated Cody until he brought them up - arms angled to keep the thumbtacks from touching him - and his hands slid up his chest until his fingertips were barely brushing against his bare skin where he'd hastily unbuttoned his shirt.

"Darby?"

"You know, Ace…" The anger had been replaced by a shyness that inexplicably made Cody start to blush as he swallowed slowly. "You looked really good, running out there like that."

That was entirely new information and figuratively - not literally - music to his ears. 

"Better than Will Hobbs?"

He still made Cody cranky.

But Darby laughed. He had actually made him laugh. Not a restrained chuckle or snicker. Something full and true. It was brief but the expression that was left behind made his heart hurt. Darby looked so surprised. As if he had completely forgotten that his body knew how to make that sound. The surprise passed quickly but Cody filed it away - determined to make Darby laugh as often as he could from now on. 

"Of course." Darby's voice was earnest and steady. "It was you."

With each word, Darby's fingers worked their way upwards, re-buttoning his shirt as they went. The slight caress of skin as he did it just had to be deliberate and reassuring and perfectly designed to drive Cody insane. Darby was _right there_ \- inches from him and completely in his personal space - but he was still untouchable. That jacket was still in his way and Cody had no idea how Darby felt about smearing his face paint outside the ring. He was going to find out soon, though, because Darby had reached his neck and left the last button undone to give him apparently easier access to his tattoo. Each line of it was being traced agonizingly slowly with an almost overwhelming sweetness.

Cody was torn between responding and enjoying but the _need_ to let his own eyes close and take in the gentleness with which Darby was touching him won out. He could feel each caress down into every one of his bones. And it only deepened as Darby's other hand came to rest against the other side of his neck. 

"You look good like this too."

Cody opened his eyes at that - too curious about what Darby was seeing when he looked at him to keep them closed.

"Like what?"

"Happy."

Oh.

There was nothing to do but wrap his arms around Darby and pull him close. Not a thing else that he could do.

Except get stabbed by a lot of thumbtacks.

"Damn!"

Darby jumped back but for once, he wasn't fast enough to dodge an attack or in this case, Cody's recurring impulse to hold him. When their eyes met, Darby looked both sheepish and like he had been startled out of a daze. Cody had a bad suspicion about what he was going to say next.

"I should get going."

Not again. 

"Darbs…" 

For as little time as it really had been since their _something_ started, Cody already equally dreaded each time they parted and looked forward to the day they no longer needed to.

"It's been a long week and I haven't slept well."

That was something that Cody could completely understand and empathize with. But understanding definitely didn't mean that he wanted Darby to go just yet.

"Me neither."

And now there was longing and concern all tangled up in those blue eyes. Darby stayed right where he was, though - him and those thumbtacks just out of reach. Maybe someday they would sleep better together. For a moment, he let himself wonder which side of the bed Darby preferred. Was he a blanket hog or did he snore? Maybe Darby would even let him be the little spoon once in a while.

"I'll see you soon."

"I'll see you soon."

They said the exact same words at the exact same time and Cody couldn't help but grin. Darby's smile was far more muted but it was still there. He drew strength from that. Darby walked over, grabbed his bag, and Cody held his tongue on so many different things.

_I'll give you a ride home._

_Stay with me tonight._

_Can I come home with you?_

Patience. Pushing Darby right now was a bad idea. Right? Somehow, he'd managed to pull Darby out of the mental nosebleeds and most of the way back to him so that would have to be enough for tonight. Darby gave him a soft and shaky smile before he walked away and Cody knew that he would be an insomniac with a troubled heart tonight.

They had to win tomorrow. They just had to.


	6. Dynamite (November 18th, 2020)(Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cody and Darby finally find themselves completely alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, my apologies for the extra time between chapters. Between the holidays, family stuff, and my stupid broken toe, my focus hasn't been quite as sharp as it usually is.
> 
> Secondly, you might have noticed that I've added to the total chapter count. Cody and Darby got a bit emotional and kiss happy in this chapter and I needed the hard chapter break for pacing and flow purposes. So blame them. :)

Cody felt just a little bit foolish, standing there and waiting.

He had paced back and forth, checked his phone for reasons both real and invented, and tried his best to look like he had a very good reason to be leaning up against this particular wall in this particular hallway. People walked by and he did his best to smile and make small talk. Nothing that he was particularly interested in but Cody was well aware that his interests were decidedly single focused, at the moment. 

There was no way that Darby was going to sneak up on him or surprise him or somehow materialize two feet from him tonight. This was the perfect vantage point and this hallway intersection funneled everybody further into Daily's Place. Darby would have to come through here sooner rather than later. Cody had his eyes peeled - when he wasn't pretending to do something important on his phone. It wasn't just that he was waiting for Darby; he was eager to see him.

After they had parted ways last night, Cody had been worried. Was still worried, honestly. Sleep had been fraught and sparse and only the years of practice he had in being fully functional on little sleep was probably going to get him through the rest of the night. He and Darby had exchanged - what had become - their usual 'good morning' text messages but that was it. Cody had waited for Darby to reach back out but nothing. He knew he could have done the same but it was so difficult to figure out where the line between pushing too hard and not pushing enough was. But Darby would be here tonight and maybe it would be easier to see that line in person.

Cody doubted that there would be muffins or any other baked goods involved, despite how quickly he had become attached to Darby's food.

There was probably too much riding on tonight - in his mind, anyway. A victory over Cage and Starks might help Darby end a feud that kept going. For a moment last night, Cody had heard the exhaustion in Darby's voice and he wished he knew how to make it go away. It would probably take more than just one decisive victory to get Taz to back off but they had to start somewhere - for Darby's sake if nothing else. And that 'they' was another thing that was at risk tonight. He wanted - _needed_ \- to prove to Darby that they could work together like this. That they could fight side-by-side as partners. It wasn't that they needed to be some sort of permanent tag team or anything like that but Cody _needed_ Darby to believe that he would have his back in a fight. But more than anything, Cody wanted to prove that he could be trusted with Darby's battles _and_ with his heart.

Trust was difficult and it was earned. Tonight felt important and he had this underlying fear that something was going to go wrong. Cody wasn't sure what it was or what was causing it. But for all of his worries about not spooking Darby, he was the one spooked right now. Seeing Darby would help, he was almost certain of it. He hoped it would, anyway.

It was a very good start that when Darby rounded the corner - duffle bag in hand - and their eyes met, a soft smile and a slight blush appeared on his unpainted face.

Darby was happy to see him and that simple fact meant more to Cody than he really had words for. This smile was far steadier than the shaky one Darby had given him as he left last night and that alone made it easier to believe that things just might be okay. Without even hesitating for a moment, Darby walked right over to him - just about close enough to touch.

"Hi, Ace."

That was never going to get old. Not ever.

"Hi, Darbs."

That particular nickname and his own lisp weren't necessarily the best match but Cody couldn't seem to stop himself from saying it. Darby was _right here_ and Cody tried to put on a smile of his own. He was happy to see him - that went without saying - but apparently, it was harder to shake his worries than he would like.

"What's wrong?" 

And somehow, Darby knew something was bothering him - the sharpness of his tone gave the way easily. Was he really that transparent? The executive smile fooled almost everyone but here was Darby - looking at him with a troubled expression on his face. There really wasn't a good way to say 'I've got a bad feeling about this' without sounding paranoid or doubtful. 

"Would you believe me if I said everything was fine?"

The bright blue of Darby's eyes made that icy glare even more piercing. It was almost disconcerting in a way.

"No." Out of the corner of his eye, Cody noticed that Darby's free hand had balled up into a fist. "What happened?"

The intensity in Darby's expression had only deepened and Cody knew that look - a miniature version of the one Darby wore in the ring. But all it did was remind him of the softness that lay underneath Darby's armor. Because that look said that he was ready to fight - ready to go to war - but not for himself or inside of a wrestling ring. Instead, that look was for whatever or whomever had bothered his Ace. And not for the first time, Cody had to restrain himself from pulling Darby into his arms. This was too busy of a hallway, if nothing else. He knew that was a line not to cross - not yet.

"Nothing." A single eyebrow quirked upward and Cody could feel himself start to truly smile as Darby's eyes narrowed in doubt. "I'm just anxious about tonight."

He'd said the words - put that sentiment out there to some extent - even though it hadn't been something he wanted to say out loud. It was just that the last thing he wanted was Darby to think that he doubted _him_. That would without question cause more damage and Cody certainly didn't want to send Darby into full retreat. Watching him try to maintain the blank aloofness last night had been agonizing. He'd drawn _his_ Darby back out somewhat but his own anxiety right now had probably been born in seeing that. There was too much at stake tonight for both of them.

But Darby's hand came up and his thumb brushed ever-so-briefly across one side of Cody's jaw, painted fingernails grazing against his tattoo. It was almost too quick to be felt but the warmth lingered and lightened his heart. The expression on Darby's face had eased too - the intensity melting away and leaving behind only worry and concern. And even that seemed hopeful as Darby stayed right where he was.

But there were footsteps and voices as people passed around and by them. Cody watched Darby's mouth open just slightly and quickly close a couple of times as whatever words he wanted to say were swallowed away by his struggle between wanting to be soft and concerned for _him_ and wanting that armor up around everyone else. Darby clearly _cared_ about him and was trying to continue caring about him despite his uncomfortability with their surroundings. It was a moment Cody wanted to keep.

"Would you like to use my dressing room tonight?" That didn't sound too suggestive, he hoped. "Since we're tagging together and all."

And that was for the benefit of any eavesdropping passerby but Darby looked thankful; although, whether it was from the offer or the cover-up, Cody wasn't sure.

"Okay."

Cody gestured in the direction of a hallway, even though it was probably entirely unnecessary. Daily's Place wasn't _that_ big. They didn't continue their stilted conversation as they walked but they were closer to one another than was definitely normal for thrown-together tag team partners. Cody didn't dare look and see what expression was on Darby's face as their forearms kept bumping together and their strides somehow synced. He wouldn't be surprised if it was that blank aloofness but it wasn't something that he necessarily wanted to confirm.

Opening the door, Cody made room for Darby to step inside before closing it behind him. They were alone and it took a moment but Cody realized that this was the first time they had truly been alone since Full Gear. Every moment before this had been in public - the possibility of being seen always present - but no one would enter his dressing room without at least knocking first. Darby had set his bag down on the floor and was almost shyly looking at him so Cody was pretty sure that he had had the same realization.

He wasn't sure which one of them moved first but then Darby's hands were cupping his face, pulling his head down for a kiss. And he tasted just like Cody remembered but somehow his lips were even softer. His own hands settled at Darby's waist and this was a moment that he didn't want to end. The affection between them was tangible and real as they slowly and tenderly kissed one another. It wasn't exactly the sort of kiss a part of his mind had imagined when he offered up his dressing room - that image carried far more passion - but this was something else entirely different. With each passing heartbeat, this was Darby trying to tell him something. Trying to reassure and soothe and promise. They parted - just slightly - and yet Darby still didn't let go. Instead, their foreheads rested against each other and Cody allowed himself to keep his eyes closed - leaning into the contact and hoping that Darby didn't mind holding up a bit of his weight.

"It'll be okay, Ace."

Darby kept trying to take care of him and Cody's grip on his waist tightened at that thought. So much relied on him getting everything right - even the times when he'd misspoke or been misinterpreted - and he had treated his developing relationship with Darby the exact same way. He couldn't make a single mistake or he might lose him. But here was Darby. Trying to tell him - with his words and his kiss - that they would be okay, even if things went wrong.

Cody opened his eyes and leaned back just enough so he could see Darby a little better. He wasn't sure how to phrase what he wanted to say. How to explain that it had _hurt_ to watch Darby throw up those walls last night. To look at those blue eyes and see that blank aloofness, long after they had left the ring. How to say that his patience had been born out of fear of that single mistake.

"You think so?" Darby's brow furrowed just slightly and Cody knew he needed to keep talking. "Last night, you were…" There had to be a word or phrase to describe it. Something that would explain and not offend all at the same time. "... distant... and you didn't…"

For all of his ability to tell a story and give a promo, words were failing Cody right now. Darby's eyes had widened as he faltered and he needed to find the words but they were stuck somewhere in the middle of his throat. He could still feel Darby's kiss - that reassuring and comforting kiss - and Darby himself was still holding onto him - still cradling his face - with an expression that Cody couldn't place.

"I'm sorry." He hadn't been angling for an apology, even though he still wasn't quite sure what he had been trying to say. Before Cody could at least explain that, Darby continued in a quiet, shaky voice. "I have these ghosts and..." 

And now that hurt too. Cody _knew_ that. He knew there had to be reasons why Darby was more comfortable up in the nosebleeds than in the back with the rest of the roster. Why he spoke so little and disappeared so easily. The last thing he wanted to do was poke and prod at such things. Later? Almost certainly. He wanted to know everything about Darby - even his ghosts.

"Darby, I…"

There was the gentlest of pressures as Darby once again brought their foreheads together. Those blue eyes had closed and Cody's own eyes followed suit. There was this little tremble in Darby's hands and Cody felt even worse for even breaching this subject. He should have just drank in that comfort Darby had been trying to give. Embraced it. Embraced him. Appreciated the little kernel of private time they had found for themselves. Instead, he had opened his mouth and asked a question that didn't need to be asked right now.

"They haunt me but I won't let them take you from me."

Oh.

Oh, Darby.

There was nothing Cody could do but kiss him. Nothing else at all. And Cody tried to put everything those words made him feel into each caress of their lips. Every bit of burgeoning adoration he wished he had the words for. How had he gotten this Darby? His gentle tenderness and his soft affection. His relentlessness turned into a refusal to let his own scars keep him from letting his Ace stay close. One of these days, Cody knew that he was going to have to ask what on Earth he had done so very right.

At least, he had to have done something right in this moment because as they pulled back to catch their breaths, Darby was smiling _that_ smile at him. Cody only wished he had a smile of his own that could make Darby's heart flutter the way _that_ smile made his. 

"I don't want to let you go either."

It was probably too soon in this relationship of theirs for such sentiments but that didn't make either of their words any less true. This felt different. _They_ felt different. If that changed in the future.. if they didn't work… then so be it. But right now - in _this_ moment - Cody had no intention of doing anything other than holding onto Darby as tightly as he could. In this moment, that was the truth.

Part Five of the Plan: Be Patient and Honest. 

Darby was still smiling as Cody leaned in again to claim his lips once more. Their kiss was deeper this time but it remained full of warmth and fondness as their tongues met and they explored each other's mouths. One of Cody's hands slipped around to Darby's back to try and pull him closer but the muscles beneath his fingertips stiffened at the pressure as if Cody had inadvertently stumbled across that line he couldn't see. That was okay - even if it really wasn't. They could navigate that line later but right now, Darby had just made the tiniest moan and that noise was the most important thing on Cody's mind. He was so quiet and could be so stoic that it hadn't once occurred to Cody that Darby might _moan_ when they kissed. There had to be enough time to coax a few more out.

So of course, there was a knock at the door.

"Cody?"

He kept his hands on Darby but to his partial surprise, Darby's hands lowered until they were resting on his chest but then he stayed just as he was - in that loose little circle of Cody's arms. They were both breathing a little heavier than usual and Cody hoped that that couldn't be heard in his voice.

"Yeah?"

"Makeup is ready for you whenever you're good to go."

Of course, it was.

"I'll be there in a few."

They both stood silent and motionless for a few minutes as if making sure that they were alone again before they did anything. Cody knew that he needed to get going. Thankfully, their match was the main event so they had a little bit of time but it wasn't infinite. No matter how badly he wanted to stand here and kiss Darby for as long as they both wanted. 

"Makeup?"

And now, the expression on Darby's face was that charmingly confused one again so Cody gave into the temptation of kissing one of his cheeks.

"Gotta do something about these bags under my eyes." Confusion faded into concern and Cody wasn't sure how long it was going to take before he was accustomed to seeing Darby look worried about him. "I don't sleep well. Never have."

It felt a little awkward being _that_ sort of honest with anyone. He tried to keep his tone self-deprecating and light but Cody could tell that Darby was anything but placated. Normally, he kept such things to himself but as Darby caressed along his jawline again - this time letting the touch linger - Cody leaned into it and took a deep breath. He wanted Darby to trust him with his battles and that needed to work in both directions. His seemingly endless fights with insomnia and overworking were things that he _could_ share with him. Cody supposed it was his own never-ending feud.

Taking Darby's hand into his own, Cody kissed those tattooed knuckles and enjoyed watching the blush spreading across Darby's face. Yet another thing that he figured wasn't going to grow old anytime soon. They had a match tonight and they both needed to get ready but these moments with Darby had an almost addictive quality to them. Cody kept wanting them to last longer and encompass more. 

Patience.

He needed to have patience. That had been what was needed last night and it was what was needed right now. There would be more moments and there would be more time. It was just so much more difficult to be patient when Darby was looking at him like _that_. His eyes full of something that was equal parts worry and wonder and his smile that could only be described as gentle. But there were things to do.

"I should go handle that." 

"Probably."

Darby twisted their hands just slightly to place his own kiss on the top of Cody's hand while never breaking eye contact and that was just cheating. And by the little chuckle, Darby knew it.

"I'll be back in a bit." 

Taking a few steps backwards and relinquishing that physical contact was more difficult than it probably should be. Cody supposed it was the newness of it. Finally being actually alone and being able to linger. Of knowing kisses and caresses were welcome and wanted. Darby nodded his head a few times but whether it was out of understanding or trying to shake off his own stupor, Cody wasn't sure.

"Is it okay if I…" Darby waved a hand in the general direction of the rest of the room. "...stay here? Get ready?"

Somehow, Cody was able to keep himself from saying something stupid about staying forever but it was a very near thing. That was the opposite of patience.

"Absolutely." A look of relief briefly passed over Darby's face and Cody couldn't keep his mouth from continuing. "Make yourself at home."

For a moment, his own words broke Cody's brain but thankfully, Darby's only reaction was to smile softly at him and not take off or do something else dramatic. Honestly, they both had a tendency to maybe be dramatic from time to time. Just a little bit. On occasion. Cody grabbed his bag and headed out the door, before he did or said anything else to stall for even a minute more of time. Of course, on the other side of it, he found himself staring at the closed door for a moment or two before making his way down the hallway. Darby was actually in there and waiting for him to come back and didn't want to let him go. They had kissed again and Darby was still a really good kisser. It had felt like it had been forever since they kissed. Apparently, six days could equal forever under the right - or wrong - circumstances.

The extra time together was worth whatever questions Dustin was going to ask him later. And there were definitely going to be questions. His brother hadn't volunteered to handle most of his other backstage duties _and_ watch Pharaoh overnight for no reason. If nothing else, that oddly knowing look in his eyes had been extremely suspicious.

But that was a problem for a different day. Tonight, he and Darby had a match and Cody was feeling pretty good about it. Things between them were steadier than they had been the night before and that _had_ to translate to the ring. It would only make sense. Kissing Darby _and_ making Taz watch his team lose sounded like the makings of a really good night. 


	7. Dynamite (November 18th, 2020)(Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darby answers two very important questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here I am again, apologizing for the time between chapters. Shortly after I posted the previous chapter, I managed to close my dryer door on a couple of my fingers, breaking one of them. Which brings my current broken bone count up to two. My one-handed typing is far slower than I would like and it is rather annoying.

Even now - barely able to stand or breathe - Cody wasn't sure where things had started to go wrong.

Maybe it had been when for whatever reason, Arn had tossed the chair into the ring and gotten tossed from ringside himself. Or maybe Taz leaving the commentary booth to coach Cage and Starks had turned the tables in some immeasurable way. 

Maybe it had been before the match even started?

Should he have insisted that Darby - as champion - make his entrance second instead of going along with Darby's nonchalant shrug and statement that it didn't matter? Perhaps he shouldn't have indulged in taking a few extra seconds to tear his shirt off and enjoy the feel of Darby's gaze on him while he did it. 

Or had it been even before that? Coming back to his dressing room from getting makeup and his ring gear on to find Darby - face painted and in his own ring gear - sprawled across his couch, shopping for a flamethrower of all things on his phone. Maybe they should have spent those minutes doing more strategizing or stretching or anything. Maybe he should have done something other than sitting down on the floor next to the couch and smiling at Darby's enthusiasm for the film project he had in mind.

Maybe it didn't matter because Cody knew exactly at what point they had lost the match.

He had ducked Cage's clothesline.

Darby hadn't.

And that had been it. The actual loss had taken a couple of more minutes after that but when Cage's arm impacted Darby's chest, it was done. Cody had known that as soon as he saw Darby crumple. Maybe Darby had too or maybe that relentlessness of his made him immune to such instincts. Forced to the outside of the ring, there had been nothing Cody could do - his own head spinning and his own body aching - to keep Cage from brutally dropping Darby to the mat in an avalanche drill claw. He could do nothing but cling to the ring apron as Darby hit the canvas in a sickening thud and then watch as his own momentum carried him up and back down again - never once holding a hand out or anything to brace for that second impact. Cody could only grimace as Cage pinned him for a three count.

They had lost.

A match that Cody _knew_ they needed to win - for so many reasons. Taz would never shut up now. This feud wasn't going to stop any time soon. And Cage had pinned Darby. In his first match as TNT champion, Darby had taken the loss. Cody was all-too-well aware of how many times Darby had come up short over the course of his career and that his victory in their title match was his first crowning achievement. And now in his first match as the titleholder, he had been pinned. 

Once the bell had rang, Cody had done his best to avoid thinking of Darby as something more than his tag team partner. And he had mostly succeeded but once Darby had hit the mat - unmoving and unblinking - he had become _his_ Darby again. Heart screaming at him to get to Darby - hold him, protect him, take care of him - Cody had forced his body to move. But his legs were too wobbly and his body too weak and he couldn't get there fast enough. 

Of course, Team Taz wasn't satisfied with the victory - with pinning Darby - they had to continue the beatdown. Each blow and each punch didn't matter. What they did to him didn't matter as long as they left Darby alone. Cody could barely see him but he still wasn't moving. How badly was he hurt? Why weren't the medical personnel coming to check on him?

Something altered - something changed - and Team Taz was backing off. 

Will Hobbs.

Even though the man made him cranky, Cody didn't care about that right now. He was just dazed enough to not have much more fight left in him to antagonize Cage and Starks so Hobbs and his chair chasing off Team Taz was a welcome sight. With those idiots gone, now someone could get to Darby. Cody could get to him. It took all of his energy to stand and try to thank Hobbs for showing up - for being Darby's ally in this never-ending feud. They had actually needed the help this time.

He'd been doing this long enough that certain moments would set off alarm bells off in his mind. This was one of them. Cody knew that something else was going to go wrong a second before that idiotic FTW belt hit him in the face and it was his turn to collapse onto the mat. What was he doing? How could he do that to Darby? The anger warred with the pain as Cage and Starks hauled him up to take yet more shots. He barely had the energy or the strength to defend himself. What was Hobbs thinking?

Was this his fault?

Cody knew that Taz had been trying to recruit Hobbs for weeks. There had been no response. Hobbs had ignored Taz and his entreaties. Or at least he had until Cody had used his influence to take his place in this exact match. He had wanted to be the one to fight at Darby's side. He wanted to _always_ be the one at Darby's side. But had that need - that instinct - cost Darby another ally? That thought was as painful as the throbbing in his head as Team Taz held him up to do some mocking stupidity to the cameras.

It took way too long for them to get their fill and take off. Each moment was agony of so many different kinds. He was hurt. Darby was hurt. With the last bit of his energy, Cody rolled over to see if he could find Darby. That was what mattered - even more than his own already aching body.

Oh.

Darby.

Blue eyes half-lidded and glassy and arm outstretched, as if he was trying to reach him. As if he had wanted to help - tried to force his body to help his Ace. Cody had to get to him. Finally, the doctors were in the ring, trying to lift him up and away, but that wasn't the direction he wanted to go. There was another doctor warily creeping closer to Darby - like he was a feral cat and the doctor was afraid of getting scratched. Cody was finally upright so he had enough of a vantage point to see Darby glaring at the doctor trying to tend to him as he used the ropes to pull himself up. He managed a single step in Darby's direction but that was enough for his handlers to try and guide him in the other direction. Cody knew that they needed to get to the back but he didn't want to do that without Darby. It was ridiculous but he also knew that the urge wasn't necessarily the result of his injuries and a slightly addled mind. That part of it was knowing just how much had seemingly depended on them winning tonight. 

And they had lost. Prolonged this feud rather than coming closer to ending it. And Darby had to have seen what Hobbs had done. Betrayed him after so many weeks of helping him.

Cody was afraid.

Afraid of how everything had gone wrong. Afraid of Darby stalking off and disappearing. Afraid of that armor becoming impenetrable. 

It had been too rough of a match and too battering of a beatdown for him to easily recall the reassurance in Darby's kiss, even if those moments in his locker room had only been a few hours earlier. He could see Darby - knew that he was still right there - but the sight wasn't exactly helpful when Darby was using what looked like the last of his energy to swipe at the doctor that had finally gotten brave enough to try and touch him. What if he was just doing that so he could get away?

Or… so that he could stagger over on unsteady legs to Cody's side.

The blank aloofness was firmly in place - layered with as much intensity as he could probably muster - but the expression on his face wasn't as important as the arm Darby had looped around him. Definitely not as important as placing his hand on Cody's back, tucking himself against his side, and trying to help hold him upright. So very obviously more concerned about him than the lingering crowd or the doctors or his own loner reputation. Or his own health. 

Cody was quick to copy the gesture - knowing for certain that it was okay - and did his best to try and support Darby too. The warmth and the weight were equally welcome. It was just a little bit unbelievable that Darby was _right there_. Not running or disappearing or going distant. Instead, they were helping each other through the ropes as doctors and officials hovered almost anxiously nearby, keeping physical contact with each other the entire time. They hobbled down the tunnel the same way - still holding each other up. Still leaning on each other.

And that fear faded away a little further with each connected step they took.

Doctors started to herd them toward medical but Cody could feel Darby try and move in the other direction. He tightened his grasp on Darby's hip but there was still resistance.

"Ace…"

Cody could feel the quiet rumble of Darby's voice against his skin but it was - once again - that single word that drew most of his attention. It was another layer of reassurance and a much needed reminder that their relationship wasn't determined by the outcome of tonight. There were too many people around them for Cody to react the way he wanted to. Right now, everything they had done could be excused by 'friendly tag team partners' and even that was definitely a new level of connection for their resident loner daredevil. But wrapping his arms around Darby - finally pulling him into an embrace - was a step too far. Resting their foreheads together and begging Darby to let a doctor take a look at him for his own peace of mind was too much.

So Cody kept his voice as low and as quiet as Darby's had been and did his best to whisper in his ear.

"Please, Darbs."

And he tried not to smile too much when Darby hesitated for a moment and then they slowly followed the doctor to the medical office - still holding each other up.

***

They were equally relieved to hear the door to his dressing room close behind them. 

That much was clear by their almost matching sighes and the way Darby dropped the title belt and his jacket on top of his bag before collapsing onto the couch. They had both been cleared by medical - nothing more than bumps and bruises and soreness. Doc Sampson had quietly reminded him of the signs of a concussion to keep an eye out for in Darby - just in case - and Cody had the beginnings of a sneaking suspicion that their closeness was a bit more known than they would probably like. But that was a problem for a different day.

Right now, the only thing that really mattered to Cody was the man sitting hunched over on his couch with his legs pulled up to his chest and his head resting on his knees. If this was a different sort of night - if their relationship was more established - Cody might have teased Darby about his boots being on the furniture. Instead, he sat down next to Darby and wondered if it was okay to touch him. They were certainly physically close enough for it. After having Darby tucked against his side even before they left the ring, Cody really didn't want to be any further from that warmth than he had to be. He wasn't sure what had felt more right - having his arm around Darby like that or having Darby's arm around him. It was probably both in equal measure. What he didn't know was where that invisible line was. Some touches were fine but others, Cody had noticed, would cause Darby to tighten and stiffen and back off. And that was the last thing he wanted to do tonight. 

So he was hesitating.

Thankfully, they weren't in any sort of rush. It would be hours yet until Daily's Place was closed up for the night. The work of a show often went until after two in the morning most nights. Usually, he would be one of the last to leave - match or no match. But tonight was just him and Darby and whatever happened next. 

"You okay, Ace?"

The words were muttered into Darby's arms and he wasn't looking at him but Cody smiled anyway. Darby calling him 'Ace' was probably always going to make him smile. And with that thought - that idea of 'always' - in his head, Cody reached over and rested his hand on Darby's back. He didn't shrug it off or move away and he considered that a win. Brushing his thumb along that 'relentless' tattoo caused Darby to make this quiet little hum and Cody knew the smile on his face could only have deepened.

"I'm better because you're here."

He really needed to work on his sappiness filter. He was going to spook Darby if he kept talking like that.

Darby shifted his head so he was looking over at him with a gentle but dimmed smile on his face. It was a good look, especially given how poorly the night had gone. No blank aloofness, no distance, just a smile - albeit one bruised a bit by disappointment. Cody watched as Darby unfolded himself and moved until they were once again pressed together. His arm easily adjusted as Darby tucked himself against his side. And it was almost impossibly perfect. The warmth and the contact and the affection. There was one more tiny shift as Darby rested his head on his shoulder and Cody's arm around him tightened ever-so-slightly.

"Me too."

And something deep down inside Cody finally relaxed and eased at those words and their embrace. That fear of spooking Darby - scaring him away - faded into something so much smaller than it had been. Because here they were again. Another one of these moments and Cody wondered if maybe he should start thinking of them differently. It wasn't just that they kept happening; it was that they kept choosing to stay in them. Darby kept choosing _him_. Things had gone wrong but they were okay. Darby could have taken off last night after Dark and he could have done the same after their loss. Instead, here they were - Darby curled against his side, obviously hurt in so many ways but seeking comfort and closeness.

These weren't just moments.

Maybe this was simply who and how they were now.

And that thought led to the one that had stuck with him since Darby had smiled shyly at him next to a Cheerios display. How had he been allowed to see this Darby? What had he done so very right?

Cody couldn't keep the words to himself any longer. He _needed_ to know.

"Darby?" He hadn't necessarily wanted Darby to move at all but he lifted his head to look at him with a curious expression that was somehow made slightly amusing by the partially smeared face paint. "Why did you…" Cody stumbled over the words but the light in those blue eyes urged him to continue. "Why did you give me a chance?"

His question made Darby blush and it was still one of the most adorable and appealing things that he had ever seen. 

"You should have seen yourself." One of Darby's hands reached out to caress the side of his face and there was so much softness in his eyes that Cody almost couldn't breathe. "After Full Gear… I looked up and you were smiling at me. It was… gentle… tender. And… I wanted to see it again." 

Darby's eyes closed and his head did that shy little shake again before he changed position and rested his forehead against Cody's. He was partially in his lap now and they were so close and it was so right. Cody had pulled him even tighter - both arms wrapped around _his_ Darby - as a feeling of relief and wonder rushed through him. This was what he had kept wanting - to hold Darby in his arms. And the idea that he had a smile? That he wasn't the only one that had looked at just the right moment and seen something wonderful? He didn't have the words. He didn't know what to say.

Cody felt Darby take a deep breath and there was the tiniest of tremors in his body. But before he could do anything about it, Darby continued to speak - with words so quiet that Cody felt them as much as he heard them.

"Nobody has ever looked at me like that." Nobody? How was that possible? Darby was sweet and soft and so many unexpected things. "And you just keep doing it, Ace."

His voice shook and Cody knew his would too.

"And I don't intend to stop."

For a split second, there was an odd taste in their kiss that took Cody a moment to identify as the remnants of smeared face paint. But it quickly disappeared and it really didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the ever-so-gentle way their lips touched. Or the way Darby's body was still trembling in his arms as they sunk a little deeper into the couch. He was almost entirely in Cody's lap now but their kiss remained this delicate and slow dance.

It was affirmation given physical form.

And with each caress and each beat of their hearts, Cody became that much more certain that he knew exactly what this was. 

He was going to fall in love with Darby Allin.

They weren't there - not yet. Not tomorrow or the day after either. But someday. It was inevitable. Cody _knew_ it. One day, he was going to wake up - Darby cradled tenderly in his arms - and he was going to whisper those three little words. And if Cody was as right as he hoped he was, he would hear them in return.

But that wasn't tonight.

Tonight was for enjoying how Darby's fingers felt as they traced patterns across his skin and for finally having the ability to reach up and run his own fingers through that bleached hair. And being able to feel Darby's little hum of contentment reverberate between them. Even as their kiss deepened, Darby kept pressing his head against his hand as Cody continued the gentle motion. He had no idea how long they stayed just like that - even though it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Suddenly, there was this noise that sounded far more like a cat-like purr than Cody thought a human being could make and Darby was pulling away from him - his cheeks flushed with what he was guessing was embarrassment.

And at that moment, Cody was only capable of exactly two thoughts: how else could he get Darby to make that sound and that this must be what Darby looked like in the morning with bed head. 

"Will you come home with me?" Embarrassment shifted to confusion and that ever adorable expression did not help him focus in the slightest. "You don't have to… you know… sleep in my bed. I have a guest room but my bed is big enough for both of us. I could sleep on the couch if that would make you more comfortable." Cody couldn't quite figure out how Darby was looking at him now. "I know we usually go our separate ways but I don't want to… not tonight, Darbs. Please."

It was his turn to be embarrassed - at the emotion in his voice and in the words themselves - but the feeling didn't last long as Darby placed the softest of kisses on his forehead and leaned back only far enough so they could see each other's eyes.

"Your bed sounds good, Ace." 

Cody's sigh was equal parts relief and satisfaction. It probably skipped a dozen of the steps of his plan - edited or not - but Darby was coming _home_ with him. The only thing that he could do in response was pull him back into another kiss. They should probably get cleaned up and get changed. Darby's face paint was likely all over both of them at this point and his ring gear was only so comfortable but they weren't in a rush.

They had time before they left together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now all that remains is the final chapter, its sleepy cuddles, and Darby making breakfast.


	8. The Night and Morning After Dynamite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cody finally gets some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took longer than I thought it would but I hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Thank you for waiting!

Darby sang along to the radio.

Cody could barely hear it but every few songs, Darby would quietly sing along with the chorus. It was yet another one of those unexpected things and like all the rest, it put a smile on his face. He didn't dare say anything - the last thing Cody wanted to do is take that light bit of music from him. He didn't want to draw attention to it or do anything that might cause Darby to stop so he just drove along and listened. 

It wasn't even that Darby was some outstandingly good singer - he had a normal person's singing voice - but it was the sound of Darby relaxed enough and unguarded enough around him to do something like that. So Cody kept his mouth shut as he navigated through his neighborhood. Didn't point out the street that a few blocks down had a small park with ramps and rails for skateboarding. Avoided discussing his usual route for his morning runs. Simply pulled into his driveway and parked the car.

With shy little smiles at each other, they both got out of the car, grabbed their bags, and headed to the front door. Darby seemed to be paying more attention to him than the house and Cody knew he was probably blushing a bit. He fumbled a bit with his keys as Darby stood right beside him - a hand ever-so-briefly touching his back - but it wasn't until the door was open and they were walking inside that Cody realized just how nervous he was.

It wasn't just the fact that they were finally and truly alone. That they could close the door behind them and Cody could pull Darby into his arms without hesitation or worry. That Darby had even said he wanted to sleep in his bed and Cody might just be able to discover what it felt like to hold him close like that.

He wanted so much from this.

Cody _needed_ Darby to like his house. To maybe someday be comfortable in it. He wanted more nights to end like this one - with them going _home_ together. It was getting easier to understand that one mistake or mis-step wouldn't mean the end of everything but it was still a nagging thought in the back of his mind. The exhaustion of the day wasn't helping either. He was so tired - always so tired - but Cody was more accustomed to that feeling than he probably should be. 

The lights turned on as the door shut behind them but neither of them moved very far into the entryway. Between their bodies and their bags, there was only so much room but it didn't seem to matter. Darby pressed against his side and Cody felt Darby slip his free hand into his. It was still completely delightful the way their hands fit so perfectly together. But the smile on Darby's face was even better.

_That_ smile.

"Did you want the grand tour?"

"Maybe tomorrow." Darby briefly squeezed his hand. "You look exhausted."

He did?

Cody had caught sight of his own reflection before they had left the dressing room and he had looked the same as always. The expression on Darby's face had shifted into something concerned and soft and Cody knew he was blushing again. Each time he was presented with this - the simple fact that Darby _cared_ about him - it was a little overwhelming. It mattered to Darby that he probably worked too hard and slept too little. And on a night when so much had gone wrong, he still found room to worry about his Ace.

"Darbs, I…"

With a squeeze, Darby let go of his hand but before he could feel bereft, Cody heard his bag drop to the floor and both of his hands were there, cupping his face.

"You're smiling at me like _that_ again."

Cody's bag joined Darby's on the floor as they fell into a slow, soft kiss. There was this layer of delicateness to it. As if Darby was a little overwhelmed and nervous too. Was he worried about the same things Cody was? Did he have the same _need_ for the night to go as well as possible? As the kiss ended - on instinct alone - Cody pulled Darby close against his chest, wrapping his arms around him.

And Darby immediately went completely tense and rigid.

_That line_.

In his haste and eagerness, Cody had forgotten all about that. For a moment, the only thing he could think to do was let go entirely and take a step back. He tried to move but as soon as he twitched, Darby's own arms tightened around him.

"I'm okay." The stiffness in his back said otherwise. "I'm just… out-of-practice."

It took Cody's mind a moment to understand what Darby meant because the only thing he could think of was almost too painful to contemplate. 

Darby was out-of-practice at being held.

Cody's arms tightened at the thought, even though he knew it probably wasn't helpful. He just had no idea what else to do. This wasn't a line to worry about crossing or his own affection being too much. This was Darby unused to someone holding him like this. And it _hurt_ and it made what had developed between them seem even more precious somehow.

There was nothing to do other than hold on to Darby for as long as he was willing to be held. And it didn't seem like he had any intentions of moving. The stiffness was still there but at the time, Darby was ever-so-cautiously nuzzling into his neck so Cody didn't hesitate to place soft, lingering kisses against the side of his head. They were still standing the entryway to his house and Cody had already decided that asking Darby to come home with him was one of the better impulsive decisions of his life.

And this was the beginning of the end of Darby being unaccustomed to being held - Cody was going to make sure of that. He didn't need a written-out plan for that goal. 

Hopefully.

They stood there just holding on to one another. Having Darby in his arms like this was what he had kept wanting to do. It was an impulse he had fought back over and over. Hell, one time he had even failed at it and had instead hugged a bunch of thumbtacks. He _should_ be able to stand here forever. But Cody had failed to account for it being Darby - the balm to his tired mind - in his arms. And the longer they stood there, the more the work and the insomnia and the match tonight were catching up with him.

Something must have given his state away because Darby was pulling back - even as Cody tried to hold on - and looking up at him. Those blue eyes were searching his own with more care and concern than it felt like anyone had in a long, long time.

"Time for bed, Ace." 

Those words completely flustered him and somehow Darby's shy smile made things both worse and better.

"I guess I should show you where our bedroom is."

With another shy smile, Darby picked up his bag and followed him through the house. He was too nervous to give even a brief tour or explanation as they walked - something that would have to be rectified in the morning. He wanted Darby to be comfortable here but they were halfway down the hallway when Cody realized exactly what he had let slip in the entryway.

_Our bedroom_.

\---

The sight of Darby sitting on the edge of his bed with a nervous smile on his face was something that Cody was certain that he was never going to forget. The nature of wrestling meant that they had seen each other in various states of undress but there was something far more intimate about Darby - shirtless and in a pair of black sleep pants - being in _his_ bedroom like that. He was even barefoot and it was domestic and comfortable and wonderful.

As was the way Darby's eyes slowly looked him up and down with his mouth slightly parted. Cody tried to not grin _too_ widely as it took Darby a few attempts to get words to form. 

"I didn't know which side of the bed you slept on."

That was an excellent question.

"The middle? What about you?"

And there was that soft and shy expression and little head shake as Darby simply shrugged. It was still adorable. It would probably always be adorable.

"I have no idea. I guess we'll figure it out as we go along."

Darby had to stop saying things like that. Cody was already having a difficult enough time keeping his mouth filtered and under control. If he kept being so sweet, then something he shouldn't say yet was inevitably going to slip out.

"You take that side to start?"

That was safe enough.

With a nod, Darby got up and climbed into his bed. Cody took a moment to indulge himself and briefly stared at the sight of Darby - with that adorable shy smile - in _his_ bed and under _his_ blankets. Turning off the lights, Cody navigated through the darkened room and set his phone down on the table beside the bed. Then, it was turn to climb under blankets and he took a deep breath in an attempt to steady his own nerves. It wasn't just his worries about things going well. Cody was _eager_ to be that close to Darby - to hold him and sleep beside him.

There would be no interruptions tonight. It was just them.

The room was dark and Cody could barely make out Darby's shape lying next to him. He normally preferred his room this dark - supposedly better sleep hygiene - but at the moment, he wished he could see the expression on Darby's face. Hopefully, he was smiling as deeply as Cody was.

Somehow, even in the dark, they moved together and found each other easily. Darby swiftly tucked himself against his side as Cody wrapped his arms around him. Now that he knew to expect it, that stiffness wasn't quite as frightening and it felt more muted like this. Perhaps it was lying down or the dark or something else but Cody didn't quite want to ask. There were other questions on his mind. 

"Do you want to talk about tonight?"

Cody could feel Darby's little disgruntled grumble against his skin. He didn't want any of it to be something that lingered. Not the loss or the betrayal or Cody's own worries about his role in it. But also, he wanted to share things like this with Darby. Disappointments and bad days and battered feelings. The things that sometimes made you so exhausted when you kept having to bear them alone.

"Darbs…" Maybe he should start. Perhaps that would make it easier. "I… Hobbs was supposed to be your tag team partner tonight. I had him removed so I could take his place. He knows I did. That might be the reason he…"

His voice faltered as Darby pressed yet closer to him and shifted just enough to place a kiss against his neck. It was reassurance and absolution in equal measure. 

"He still would have been a snake in the grass."

The level of certainty in Darby's words was another one of those little things that made Cody _hurt_. That expectation that Hobbs would have abandoned him at some point anyway so it didn't really matter if he had done it now. He didn't know how or why Darby had navigated past all of those little things to be right where he was tonight but Cody vowed to protect him from as many of them as possible. To be his armor when Darby needed it.

"And the match?"

Darby was silent for longer than Cody would have liked and the darkness definitely did not help him endure it. But he needed to be patient. Besides, they had all the time they needed tonight - as long as they could stay awake - and even then, Darby would still be there in the morning. One of his hands drifted upwards to gently run his fingers through Darby's hair. It was still surprising how much softer it was than he thought it would be.

"It could have been worse." Darby nuzzled his nose into the crook of his neck again and Cody was already addicted to that particular move. "Before… it would have been bad."

"What would have been?"

"Losing. Being pinned." There was a sudden wary tension in Darby's body. "I would've taken off. Done something… reckless."

He could see that. Cody could very easily see that. When he had lost the TNT title the first time, he had pulled his own disappearing act. 

"What changed?" 

One of Darby's hands reached up to gently find the side of his face and pulled his face just a little bit closer. The lightest of lingering kisses was placed against his opposite cheek. A fingertip traced along his earlobe. Everything was so full of affection that those three words almost slipped past his lips. It was far too soon - by far - but Cody felt _loved_. Even if that wasn't the exact emotion behind Darby's caresses, it was what they felt like.

"All I could think about was getting to you."

Oh.

_He_ was what had kept Darby from doing something stupid. From running away. Disappearing. _Their_ relationship was what had changed. He had actually made Darby's life a little better. Cody knew the opposite was true but the idea that he had had the same effect?

It was his turn to adjust positions as Cody shifted around until he could capture Darby's lips with his own. And of all the kisses they had shared so far, this one was Cody's new favorite. The way they were pressed so closely together - legs entangled and hearts beating as one. Everything that had developed - their very bond - was exposed and easy to feel and see. Cody coaxed as many moans from Darby's lips as Darby did from his. But there was still this tenderness layered behind every moment. It was affection and desire and a claim. And even as they slowly and reluctantly pulled back, there was barely room for a breath between them.

"My Darby."

There was a pull and a tug and it took Cody a moment to realize what Darby had done. Their positions had reversed and now he was the one being held. Cody was tucked against Darby's side with his head resting over that relentless heart. It was a perfect moment - the exact sort of thing he had wondered about so many distracted times. His ponderings had missed so many of the details, though. The sound of Darby's heartbeat beneath his ear. The softness of Darby's skin. The way Darby's arms around him felt like a shelter from the rest of the world. 

"Does that make you my Ace?"

The words were said right next to his ear but they still took a moment for Cody to comprehend. Darby had called him _his_.

"I've been your Ace since the first time you called me that."

A hand slipped through his hair and brushed along his scalp as fingertips stroked along his side ever-so-gently. It was so very soothing - comforting and calming - that Cody wished he could fall asleep just like this. He knew it wasn't likely but he _wanted_ it. So he snuggled a little closer, even as the motion made Darby chuckle a little.

"Try and sleep."

He wanted to tell Darby that it wasn't going to happen. Cody could feel Darby lift a hand away briefly to reach out and pull the blankets around them. He wanted to tell him not to bother - that him falling asleep this easily just wasn't going to happen. But he was tired and he wasn't alone. Darby was holding him close and that weight he carried was shared between them. Even that thought made his eyes feel heavier and Cody was almost scared that he was going to jinx it.

"You and me, remember?" Those were words that he was never going to forget. "I've got you, Ace." 

And he did.

_His_ Darby was right there with him.

\---

A text message notification woke him up.

That wasn't entirely unusual. There had been an early morning crisis here and there. Waking up to find himself alone in bed wasn't unusual either. In fact, the only other being that was ever in his bed when he woke up was Pharaoh. So it took Cody a minute of lying there - slowly shaking off the morning cobwebs in his mind - to realize that something was off.

Darby.

The other side of the bed was completely empty. He had fallen asleep with Darby's arms around him. He hadn't dreamed that. He _knew_ he hadn't. Darby wouldn't have taken off - he couldn't have. Not after everything. Not after all of the moments together and tender kisses and soft caresses. He couldn't have left _now_ \- slipped away after holding onto one another so tightly.

And Cody _knew_ that. He _trusted_ Darby. 

Once he was awake enough to force his mind and his heart to listen to one another, he knew everything was okay. He grabbed his phone off the side table and quickly checked the offending text message.

It was from Darby.

_Good morning_.

That was just their new normal morning greeting. Simple as can be. Nothing alarming or to be afraid of. There was something adorable about it. It felt like something Darby would still be doing a year from now.

Why would his house smell like fresh coffee?

Oh.

Cody's feet followed his nose to the kitchen as quietly as he could. And there was Darby. Not gone in the middle of the night or leaving him all alone. Instead, he was shirtless and barefoot in Cody's once-lifeless kitchen with ingredients - including the vastly improved salt - neatly arranged on a countertop. He couldn't help but lean against the wall and enjoy the sight of Darby's bare back as his heart calmed down but its beat sped up for an entirely different reason.

He felt more than a little foolish, jumping to conclusions like he had. Cody knew it wasn't quite fair to either of them or their relationship and it was something that he was going to have to work on. Darby was right there and apparently, he was making them breakfast.

"Good morning."

Darby turned around and _that_ smile spread across his face as they made eye contact. And it still warmed Cody from head to toe. It wasn't exactly the ideal morning he had idly daydreamed about - waking up with Darby curled up in his arms was an essential part of that - but they were starting the day together. He had no idea what Darby was making for breakfast but it was probably going to be the best tasting breakfast ever.

A few steps later and Darby was exactly where Cody wanted him to be - in his arms. Darby tasted like the mint mouthwash that he had forgotten he had in the master bathroom. They kissed lazily and slowly - as Cody hoped that Darby was aware of whatever he was cooking.

"Morning, Ace." There was just a hint of an early morning raspiness to Darby's voice and Cody was oddly delighted to hear it. "I got restless and I didn't want to wake you just yet."

It took a moment for Cody to understand the exact truth of Darby's words - his heart stuck on the sweetness of the gesture. He _had_ been fast asleep. He hadn't tossed and turned endlessly. He hadn't woken up before sunrise. His first night with Darby and his first night of actual sleep in a long, long time. Could Darby's presence alone made that big of a difference? Or had all of the drama and the long nights finally been too much for even his insomnia? Cody knew that hoping that it was Darby was probably a bit much but Darby was making breakfast in his kitchen and so many things seemed possible.

"You know… if you keep feeding me, I'm never gonna let you go."

There was the lightest of chuckles as Darby placed a kiss right in the center of the tattoo on his neck. Their arms were wrapped around each other and it felt as good and as right as it had last night. But the smile on Darby's face was something new. It wasn't _that_ smile. This was something unbelievably tender and even more precious. It was a smile that Cody knew was only for him.

"How do you like your eggs?"

-fin- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cody's Foolproof Plan to Charm Darby
> 
> Part One: Decline to Seek a Rematch  
> Part Two: Have Darby's Back  
> Part Three (Original): Make Excuses to Spend Time with Him at Work  
> Part Three (Edited): Spend Time with Him Outside Work  
> Part Four: Attempt Casual Physical Contact  
> Part Five: Be Patient and Honest  
> Part Six: Don't Let Go


End file.
